How Did I Fall In Love With You
by randommama
Summary: Edward & Bella are best friends with no thoughts of a romantic relationship at all.Suddenly they find themselves attracted to one another & boundaries start getting crossed,blurring the line b/w friendship & relationship. Ch.fic for STS O/S.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **This is the bigger chapter fic I'd always envisioned for my one-shot _The Seduction Through Song. _That one-shot was only one piece of their story. In this fic, we'll explore Edward and Bella's beginnings, the middle and events leading up to the seduction, and then what happens afterward.

This is my first attempt at a larger scale story here on FF, so bear with me, and be patient and gentle. I hope to only make my readers happy and continue to be interested in this Edward and Bella's journey.

THANK YOUs:

To my kiddies--for allowing their mommy time to write.

To all my girlfriends at RR/SS--for their constant encouragement, support, love, patience, and all the laughs.

To Robsten--RPattz and KStew inspire me to write all these lovey-dovey Edward/Bella stories.

To the Backstreet Boys--Their song _How Did I Fall In Love With You _was another inspiration for this story.

Last, but not least, I always have to give a special mention to my faithful, loving fic wifey, my beta, Cheermom. Like her name, she's a constant cheerleader, support system, and avid fan of my work. When I'm down, she cheers me up! Her name is so appropriate! She doesn't do grammar nazi as a job professionally, but I think she should cause I believe she absolutely does a great job. I love her so much!

**ENJOY THE STORY!**

**PLEASE LEAVE SOME REVIEWS**

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_**Prologue**_

Bella secured her iPod on her portable dock system and found the exact song she wanted to hear. She pressed play and the first strains of the song by the Backstreet Boys, _"How Did I Fall In Love With You,"_ poured out of the speakers. As she heard the notes, her lips began to upturn into a huge smile, the song being very sentimental to her. She greatly related to the lyrics, since it echoed a very special relationship in her life. She allowed herself to just sit for a moment on her now bare bed, and get lost listening to the words and let the memories wash over her.

Today was moving day, the day she closes the Forks chapter of her life, and starts a new one as an adult away from home for the first time. Boy, was she going to start off a new chapter in her life in the biggest of ways.

She was moving across the country, to New York City, where she will attend the prestigious school for the performing arts, Juilliard. She never thought that she was even good enough to be accepted, yet alone be awarded a full scholarship. She owed it all to her best friend, Edward Cullen. He had faith in her, encouraged her to audition, and was her biggest cheerleader for getting acceptance. Bella remembered the celebratory dinner they had, first with friends and family, then alone together when she received her letter of acceptance. Edward's faith that she was going to be accepted never wavered, and he had organized the celebration ahead of the arrival of the acceptance letter. Somehow he just knew that he wouldn't end up being wrong. It made her think back that Edward never seemed to be wrong when it came to her. All of his predictions regarding Bella came true.

Aside from going to college, which was going to be a big enough transition, Bella was going to attend college as a wife. Life as a newlywed awaited her in New York City, where her new husband was patiently anticipating her arrival. After their all too brief honeymoon, he had gone ahead to New York to get everything ready and to have them settled, while Bella returned to Forks to wrap things up on that end. Never in a million years would she have figured that she would be married at the tender age of nineteen, but she had met her soul mate. She knew it, and it felt very right to say 'yes' when he unexpectedly proposed shortly after they officially started dating. She just felt in her heart that it was meant to be. They didn't need to wait. Age was just a number. Their hearts, minds, and souls were already joined; they knew they belonged together. They both knew that neither one of them would want anyone else.

Admittedly, Bella felt that the upcoming changes to her life was very daunting; however, she felt up to the challenge. She was eager to embark on her new journey, exploring with her husband by her side, but she also couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness in closing the high school chapter in her book of life. She had so many fond memories of her time in Forks with her Dad, her friends, and, of course, with Edward.

Bella looked around at what used to be her room. The room was practically emptied out of everything she owned, except for the larger pieces of furniture, which were all staying. Most of her other belongings had already been packed and shipped to her new home, given away, or placed in storage. All that remained was a couple of boxes, sitting in the corner, which her father was going to put into storage after she left, and the two suitcases she was going to take with her on her flight today.

Her closet door remained open, devoid of anything except hangers, and as she glanced in that direction, she couldn't help but laugh out loud at the silly memory that immediately came to mind. Edward walked out wearing one of her grandmother's old-fashioned dresses and a pair of high heels. He looked beyond silly, especially since the dress barely fit his frame, even though it was the biggest dress Bella could find since Grandma Swan was the biggest lady she knew, it obviously was still way too small. Edward could barely walk in the heels, needing Bella's help to remain upright, and he was clearly quite uncomfortable, but Edward remained a good sport and wore the ridiculous outfit throughout the night as promised.

Her gaze moved to the nearby window and the tree where one of its branches was lightly tapping the pane due to the light breeze blowing through. More memories of Edward flooded through as she began to recall several nights where Edward climbed the tree and came into her room through the window, unbeknownst to her father, Charlie. It was a very good thing that Edward was nimble enough to climb, and Charlie slept like a bear in hibernation at nights due to his long shifts as the police chief of Forks. Bella was certain that if her dad had ever found out about Edward's late night escapades, then the poor tree would've surely been chopped down, and Edward would've been forever banned from the house, despite how her father always liked the boy.

Her eyes traveled to the desk where she and Edward spent many afternoons squeezed in together, doing homework and studying, ever since they were little kids. She remembered how they would elbow each other, complaining how one took up most of the room. Of course, as they both got older and grew physically, it was obvious that Edward was the only one hogging the space with his tall, lean form.

The other half of the desk used to hold her obsolete desktop computer where she emailed and IM'ed with Edward all the time. Her computer wasn't the best, nothing like Edward's state-of-the-art laptop, but at least it allowed her access to her emails and instant messaging, so Bella was satisfied with it.

The built-in bookcase at the far wall once held the books that she would read selections from to Edward on occasion and the stories that they read together sometimes as well. Bella remembered the numerous children's books that had been shelved there that she and Edward had struggled to learn to read together. She also recalled the time when Edward dumped several of her precious books on the floor so he could make room for the wonderful first edition book collection he had given her as a Christmas present one year. It was the best gift any one had ever given her that year.

Bella then saw the empty corner, near the bookcase, that once was home to her rickety, but still sturdy, rocking chair. The rocking chair held sentimental value, so its new home was in New York, at the new apartment where she and her husband would be staying. Flashes of the many times Edward held her and rocked her in that chair, as she cried on his shoulder, came to her mind. Edward knew exactly how to soothe her sorrows, and always was there to comfort her throughout broken hearts, disappointments, and even the time when they were twelve and she had suffered the loss of her pet goldfish; the goldfish not having survived through a week when she and Edward were away at a summer camp.

Then Bella's eyes trained to the bed that she was currently sitting on and she blushed at the memories that came flitting through. It occurred to her that now, as she was on the verge of leaving this room, forefront on her mind were the memories she had made in the room with Edward, not necessarily ones of just herself, or with other friends, or even memories with her dad. This realization made her giggle to herself and blush some more. Maybe she shouldn't be thinking of Edward all that much.

Bella wondered if Edward thought as much about her when he packed up some of his belongings in his own room, as she had spent just as much time there with him. She shook her head and thought to herself, probably not, because guys just felt differently about such things. She doubted that Edward was as sentimental as she was. Maybe it was just the song that got her thinking about Edward so much. The final lyrics of the song were sung and the last strains of the music faded into silence just as Charlie knocked on the door, grabbing her attention.

"Come in, " Bella called out.

"Are you ready, Bells? It's time to go. We don't want to be late. You know how traffic can get." Charlie stated very seriously.

Bella glanced up at her dad with a smile and said, "Um, yeah Dad, I'm ready. Give me a quick sec to finish packing up these last things real quick." Charlie nodded.

She then grabbed the iPod and its dock from the nightstand and walked it over to where her suitcases sat. She placed the dock in the open suitcase and closed it, then placed her iPod in her carry on backpack, so that she could use it on the plane. She nodded to Charlie that everything was completely ready and he grabbed her suitcases for her and headed out of the room, Bella closely following behind him.

Charlie paused just passed the doorway in the hall, where he found Bella lingering before closing the door to her former room, tears starting to prickle in the corners of her eyes. Charlie placed her suitcases down, making sure they wouldn't tumble down the stairs, before pulling Bella in for an embrace, taking Bella by surprise.

Charlie had never been one to be an affectionate father. Often times, he'd give Bella a one-armed, awkward hug, but never an embrace just as he just did. He noticed that Bella was going to start to cry, and felt that if there was ever a time, it was now, to give Bella the comfort she seemed to need, and only a dad could give.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Charlie asked softly. "I thought you'd be happy to finally be leaving your old man. You always dreamed of a life beyond this small town. Now, you're on your way. You have absolutely nothing to be sad about. We both know it's time. I thought we had gone over all of this already, especially before you got married." Wrapped up in their embrace, Charlie patted Bella's back, trying to soothe her, her tears now free-flowing.

"I wouldn't...... say I.........was necessarily ecstatic to........ be moving...... out, Dad," She started in between sobs. "I..... will miss you.....and....I was....just getting to know......Sue. Oh, God, you know this. Everything will just be so different now. I.....think....I'm.....just a bit tentative," Bella concluded.

"Oh, Bells. I know it's all going to be strange at first. It'll be the same for me and Sue. But, honey, you're a tough one. If anyone can handle the transition and then succeed, it'll be you. You're much wiser than your mere nineteen years, Bells. Sometimes I think that you definitely know better than I do. Look what happened with Sue. I wouldn't have found her, if it weren't for you. So, chin up, okay. You're gonna start a new life, and that's exciting, plus you've got that fellow of yours along with you for help and support. I turned that job over to him when he married you," Charlie said encouragingly.

Bella's tears began to abate, until it was only little sniffles. Her father's words ringing true in her heart. "Dad, you're right. I've wanted this. I should be embracing it, instead of feeling hesitant. You're right, I've got the best companion ever going on this journey with me. I'm glad to give you your privacy with Sue. I know how you both need it," she responded.

Charlie pulled away from the embrace and tilted his daughter's face to look at him. "Bella, you should know that I would have never approved of your marriage, if I didn't have the utmost confidence that what you both were doing was right. The fact that he was willing to alter his plans and go to New York City with you, well, that just further enforces my decision. I have no doubt that I'm leaving you in the best possible care. You guys are going to take that town by storm. Besides, if things don't work out, well, I always have my insurance policy of my gun," he ended with a chuckle.

"Dad," Bella scoffed at him. "Oh, I guess nothing is really wrong. These are just silly tears.......probably from all the memories in my old room," Bella remarked.

"Yeah, I bet a lot of those memories contained Edward," Charlie deadpanned.

Bella looked incredulously at her father. "Why would you say that, Dad?" She asked.

"Oh, you always get a look on your face when you're thinking about Edward. I've been noticing it as you've grown up. I know you well enough by now to know that you had the Edward face on just now. I'm not wrong, am I?" Charlie responded.

Bella giggled then shook her head 'no' and said, "You're right. I was just thinking how I made a lot of memories in that room with Edward. I'm just gonna miss it and those times."

"Uh huh. I figured. Like I said, Edward face. Well, don't fret about it. You're about to make new memories in your new home, your new life, and they'll be equally good. I'm sure of it. You've been prepared for this day for a while now," Charlie stated matter-of-factly.

"I do not have an Edward face," Bella scoffed again at her father, and then pouted as if she was once again a little girl.

"Yes, you do, Bells. Ask anyone. You've been having it more often these days, but I can't say I blame you for that," Charlie answered.

"Alright, whatever. I think I'm just being a sentimental chick, and I get it from Mom. Really, I'm excited for this new journey. I can't wait to start my new life. Okay, I'm definitely ready now. We should get going. I can't miss my flight. I need to get back to my husband," Bella said, encouraged by Charlie's talk.

While she was sad to leave the room behind because of all the good times and the good memories, she was ready to move on and embark on her new life, and that started with a plane ride back to New York City, where the love of her life, her new husband, was waiting for her. Charlie, knowing that the conversation was effectively over, picked up Bella's suitcases and proceeded down the stairs, and into the waiting truck with Sue inside. Bella took one last look at her former bedroom and wiped away some last minute tears, before closing the door shut and bounding down the stairs. She joined her father and Sue in the truck and they headed off for SeaTac airport. Bella was closing a chapter in her life by saying goodbye to her room with the all the memories and leaving Forks, but she was on her way to open a new one when she arrived in New York.

Bella said her goodbyes to her dad and his girlfriend, Sue, and a few friends that came to the airport to also send her off. She left her dad and Sue with promises of weekly phone calls, and her friends promises of frequent emails, as well as promises of giving their regards to her husband and a visit by the both of them over the holidays.

She smiled her hugest smile the whole plane ride, knowing what was awaiting her at the end of her journey. The plane landed safely at JFK and Bella practically sprinted out of the aircraft and into the terminal, eager to see her husband. After baggage claim, where she was thankful her bags were one of the first ones to come down the carousel, she raced to the waiting area where she knew he'd be waiting.

She caught sight of his gorgeous form leaning up against a wall post, her favorite half-smirk smile of his on his face, and his arms crossed. He had on tight black jeans and her favorite blue shirt on, no doubt intentional on his part. He looked like he was posing as the cover model for the latest men's magazine, and Bella felt that she'd never get used to his attractiveness.

As he finally caught sight of her, Bella's eyes lit up. They locked gazes and Bella's heart skipped a beat; her heart always did that whenever they'd lock eyes. She felt unbelievably lucky to have this man be hers.

He quickly ran to her, his long legs closing the distance between them quickly. He grabbed Bella in a huge bear hug, spinning her around, showing how much he missed her. He then planted an intense kiss upon his wife's lips, not minding at all that they were in such a public area. Every inch of Bella responded to his touch, his kiss, his show of love, and all reservations left her instantly as she stood there wrapped up in his arms.

"Welcome home, baby. I hope you took care of everything you needed to back in Forks, because I can't honestly be apart from you again. I missed you so much. I was a wreck. Luckily, mom kept me in line. I could hardly function today knowing that you were on your way home. Everything is ready for us, baby," Bella's young husband said breathily after breaking from the kiss.

"Oh, I missed you too. So much, sweetheart. I did take care of everything. I'm all moved out. I don't have to be apart from you again for a long time. Nothing will be able to tear me away from you now. Things are finally right. My home is with you now, where it was always meant to be. Let's go start our new life together." With that, Bella pulled him down for another bout of kissing.

They kissed intensely once again, before clasping hands and heading out of the airport where they were embarking on their new life in a new city, as new college students, and as husband and wife. They both could hardly wait to get home to their apartment. Bella's husband slipped the cabdriver extra money so he could get them home as fast as he could, and they made out like the newlywed teenagers they were the whole way.


	2. Chapter 1 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N**: I know that I've been a big FAIL in updating this story! I apologize! I won't make any real excuses, just that summer has been very busy for myself and my beta, coupled with the fact that I've gotten very sick, and there you have why I've only updated now—much later than I had ever planned. It stressed me to have to update so late, but I really have been in no condition to do any writing or much else. Hopefully, I can do better next time. No promises, however. I ask that you readers bear with me.

Many, many thanks as always to my beta, Cheermom, for catching my mistakes and revising this so it would be a better chapter.

I split this chapter because I felt it went too long. So, Pt. 2 is pretty much written, just need to work out the kinks. I'm going to get some meds now to help me feel better, so I should finish with the next part soon, hopefully.

**Thanks for your continued reading and support of my other fic ventures. Please Review!**

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**Chapter 1-Only The Best Of Friends, Pt.1**

_**4 years earlier...**_.

Carlisle Cullen waited patiently in his vehicle on the Swan driveway for his son, Edward, who was spending an extraordinarily amount of time saying goodbye to his friend, Bella Swan; however, his patience was wearing thin. He glanced at his watch, for what must've been the hundredth time, and heaved a big sigh.

When Carlisle arrived, he went to the door and exchanged pleasantries with Charlie, Bella's dad. Edward called out that he and Bella were finishing up, and he would just need a minute to gather his things. Once Edward made his way to the door, Carlisle foolishly thought that they were leaving, so he said his goodbyes and headed to the car. If he only had known that nearly thirty minutes later he would still be waiting, he would've probably stayed inside with Charlie and had a beer or two, maybe talk about sports.

He had dutifully picked Edward up from an afternoon study session at Bella's house, after a long, tiring shift at the hospital, at the agreed upon time of 6:00 PM. He was very weary and all he wanted to do was to get home. He had his evening all planned-eat the undoubtedly scrumptious dinner that his wife, Esme, cooked, then retire to his bedroom where he'd lounge in bed with the fireplace roaring, until he passed out in exhaustive sleep, making it an early night. Edward was putting a damper in his plans. It was now nearing 6:30. They were supposed to be home by now.

Carlisle pulled out his cell phone, deciding to give his wife a call. "Hi honey," Carlisle said with another heaved sigh. "We're going to be late for dinner. Edward just can't seem to tear himself away," he explained, sounding very miffed.

Esme giggled on the other end of the line before she told her husband that it was to be expected, as that was typically how Edward and Bella were, lest he'd forgotten. She wondered aloud why he was just sitting in his car waiting when he could have socialized with Charlie, Bella's father, or even came home first then returned to collect Edward when he was finally ready; it was too late to do that now, and it wouldn't be right to pass off Edward to Charlie and have him take their son home. Frankly, in his exhaustion, none of those things quite occurred to Carlisle.

Esme laughed some more and then asked that Carlisle just be patient for a little while longer, eventually Bella's father would shoo Edward, then they wouldn't all have to endure the repercussions of a very grumpy Edward for the evening, which she didn't want or would particularly enjoy.

Esme then proceeded to assure him that it was all right that they were late, as Edward's brothers weren't hungry yet, and that she'd keep dinner warm until they arrived, before she ended the call abruptly. No doubt, she didn't want to hear her husband complain about their inconsiderate son.

Carlisle closed the phone with another heavy sigh, knowing everything that Esme had said was true. He would just need to continue to be patient; it wasn't as if he could just leave Edward stranded. Well, maybe he could have, but it wasn't right and he doubted that Charlie would appreciate playing chauffeur to his son, especially after his day at work as well. He was hoping that Charlie was ready to tell Edward to get a move on, and that he and Bella were ready for dinner. Carlisle wasn't sure if Charlie realized that he was waiting in the car.

Edward was certainly having a difficult time saying good night to his friend. Carlisle watched them, now sitting side by side on Bella's front stoop, once again deep in conversation, and wondered if they would ever realize the time and conclude whatever they were discussing so intently. It wasn't like either one of them wasn't going to get on the phone later that night and talk to one another some more. He paid for Edward's phone bill, and he knew exactly how often Bella's phone number appeared on Edward's call logs, and how often they texted one another. Not to mention, on more than one occasion, when he came home late from the hospital, he'd heard snippets of their late night conversations as he passed Edward's room on the way to his. Despite Edward's active social life, Bella was the one he communicated with the most often.

What could a couple of 14 year olds be discussing so deeply? He thought to himself.

Just when it seemed that Edward was ready to go, one of them would seem to mention one last thing, and then they were back were they started, deep in conversation once more. It wasn't like they were trying to discuss how to bring about world peace. Carlisle shook his head and laughed to himself. If anyone could think of a viable solution, it could probably be the two of them. They both had brilliant, unconventional minds and were an unstoppable force when they put their heads together.

Seeing as there wasn't much to do while he waited, Carlisle sat and watched Edward and Bella's easy interaction with another. There was good banter back and forth, and even playfulness between the two of them. He beamed as they made joking gestures at one another then fall into comfortable laughter. The way they seemed to alternate readily between light and serious conversation bewildered him, but he chalked it up to his generation gap.

He saw the way they hung on each other's words and how their eyes lit up when they spoke. The little nudges, brushes, and touches they gave one another didn't escape his notice either.

Carlisle observed now as Edward put one long arm around Bella, in a comforting one-armed embrace, while Bella buried her head into Edward's shoulder. Seeing how natural it was for them to exhibit such affection, Carlisle couldn't help but wonder if something more had developed with his son's friendship with Bella. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least.

Edward and Bella were awfully close to one another. Bella was probably the closest person to Edward, even more so than he, Esme, or even Edward's brothers. Edward had female friends that he seemed to regularly converse with off and on, but they never seemed to hold his interest for very long nor would Edward consider them a girlfriend. Carlisle believed he never actually dated any of these girls. While Edward had a few other male friends besides his brothers that Carlisle knew of, he knew that those friendships weren't anything remotely close to what Edward and Bella shared.

Carlisle knew for a fact that Bella was the one person Edward confided everything to. He only ever felt comfortable talking to Bella really, ever since they were kids. She held all his secrets; secrets that not even Edward's brothers knew. He had no way of knowing if Edward held all of Bella's secrets as well, but he could only imagine that Bella reciprocated. It seemed that Bella Swan was really the singular most important person in Edward's life, for the moment. Edward may date other girls; however, Bella was the one girl Edward consistently consorted with. Carlisle resolved to have a long talk with his son and find out the truth behind Edward's feelings for Bella, for he was now quite curious.

Their friendship began when they were both still quite young, and Carlisle was witness to its start. He looks back on that fateful time fondly to this day.

_Edward was five, and it was the summer before he would start kindergarten in the fall. The hospital was hosting its annual carnival for the Pediatrics ward. It was a great event where the sick children could escape their various health problems for the day and just enjoy themselves. Those that were too sick, or unable to go outside, were entertained inside at the Pediatric lounge or in their own hospital rooms. All the kids were really excited for the day, and the hospital staff enjoyed having their patients happy and exuberant for the time being. Some of these kids were terminal and this day could very well have meant their last memorable experience._

_Carlisle had invited Esme down, so that their boys could enjoy the carnival as well. Many of the other hospital staff regularly invited their families to partake in the carnival festivities. When Edward wound up missing from Esme's side, Esme had told Carlisle that Edward was disappointed that his father was far too busy being a doctor to be able to enjoy the carnival with the rest of the family. She gathered that Edward probably wandered on his own into the hospital in hopes of finding Carlisle, determined to ask his dad to take a break and enjoy the carnival with him if only for a little while ._

_Edward had always been a resourceful child, quite smart for his age, evidenced by the fact that he managed to bypass all the security and ended up on the Pediatrics floor simply by accident. Probably figuring it was as good a place as any to start finding his dad, Edward began wandering through the halls. The staff on the floor probably thought nothing of him walking around since the carnival was happening. That was how he must've come across Bella's room._

_Little Isabella Swan had unfortunately been hit by a car, and was recovering from the injuries she suffered; thankfully, the accident wasn't fatal. Whatever possessed Edward to go inside, Carlisle would never know, but that was where he had found his son, sitting by Bella's bedside, busily chatting away with the little girl, and making her laugh. It was the first time that Carlisle had seen the little girl even remotely happy, and acting like the five year- old girl she was._

_He was the attending ER physician that day, a little over a week ago, when she was brought in. She had suffered broken bones, scrapes, and scratches, and she had banged her head pretty hard on the road when she was knocked down. Her injuries were healing nicely with no permanent after-effects, but Carlisle feared that Bella would still never be the same little girl she was before. _

_Bella, who was normally a vibrant, fierce, sassy little girl, according to her parents, wasn't too pleased about her current helpless predicament and had become sullen, withdrawn, and silent. She refused to utter any words ever since she had woken up from surgery. Carlisle knew that Bella had slipped into a bit of depression, understandable given her situation; most patients often times do after such a trauma. She was scared, sad, and uncertain; therefore, she closed herself off. Carlisle knew that Bella cried often and no one could seem to comfort her, not even her parents. Usually, however, children were the most resilient of patients, and they bounced back quickly. Bella was different. It didn't bode well for her recovery. As much as doctors hate to admit it, emotional well-being played a big part in recovery._

_Her parents tried to make the best of the bad situation. They fixed up her hospital room to look more like her room at home. They brought over her favorite teddy bear and a few of her dolls and toys. Bella's room was always bright and filled with flowers and balloons. However, nothing brightened the little girl's spirits. She refused visits from friends and other family, only allowing her parents to ever see her. Her parents were at a loss, and frankly, so was Carlisle. _

_Carlisle prided himself on his excellent bedside manner with patients, and normally his patients endeared to him after one visit. He knew exactly how to handle each and every child he treated. However, little Miss Bella Swan was a huge exception. She seemingly hated him and cried every time she even laid eyes on him in her room; it was worse yet, when he actually had to examine her._

_Partially hidden by the curtain in her room, Carlisle stood silently at her door and watched in wonderment as the two fell into an easy friendship, as they watched cartoons; Edward seemingly forgetting the rest of the world and why he entered the hospital in the first place. Carlisle had never seen his son so open and friendly to anyone so quickly, Edward was usually quite shy upon meeting new people; therefore, to see this interaction occurring with a little girl Edward had just met, delighted him. Carlisle could only imagine what Edward must've thought of Bella lying there with her head wrapped, her arm and leg in casts, helpless and weak. _

_He chose to not disturb them right away, finding that Edward's presence was making the little girl very happy. Happiness was important to recovery. It was the first time he had ever seen Bella smile, let alone laughing, and looking so bright. _

_Carlisle had notified Esme, who was understandably relieved, and told her to go ahead and continue enjoying the carnival with their other sons for he'd be able to take care of Edward for now. Carlisle planned on bringing Edward back outside to join his mother and brothers for some more carnival time before they headed home._

_Mr. and Mrs. Swan had only stepped out for a moment when they encountered Carlisle spying at the door. He informed them of what was occurring, and the three of them quietly observed the two friends until they were noticed. Edward felt a little embarrassed, Bella also, as evidenced by her blush. That blush was such a beautiful sight to everyone._

_Edward ended up spending the rest of the day with his newfound friend, much to the delight of Bella's parents. Edward was even able to coax Bella out of bed and onto a wheelchair, that he willingly pushed, so that she may go outside and enjoy the carnival festivities with him. He brought joy to Bella that she didn't have before; it was quite a feat. _

_Carlisle knew that it was also very good for Bella's parents to experience their daughter being so happy. Carlisle could plainly see that the stress of Bella's hospitalization was wearing on their marriage; it was good for them to experience some good times as a family under the circumstances._

_Edward made Carlisle promised that he would take good care of and fix up his friend as good as new, so that they may play together like normal kids. Carlisle and Esme also encouraged the friendship, feeling that it would be good for Edward to have a constant playmate. Edward was closest to his brothers, both only a year older, because he was the most comfortable with them. He was a rather shy little boy who really didn't have any other friends. Whether it was due to his shyness or because Edward felt he didn't need any more companionship than his brothers, Carlisle and Esme never really knew. For Edward to have made an effort with Bella, well, they were ecstatic to say the least._

_Edward visited Bella each day after their initial meeting, and Bella would light up like a Christmas tree whenever he visited. She only grew stronger and stronger with each visit, and after only a few days, she was ready to be released. Edward greatly helped in her recovery. Where there was slow progress before, after Bella and Edward became friends, the progress skyrocketed tremendously. Of course, Edward couldn't take all the credit, but he greatly helped boost Bella's morale, and that aided her healing._

_Edward was there when she was released. Afterward, it was numerous playdates with each other, and then going through school together as best friends. They could talk forever with one another about everything and anything under the sun._

_Edward was even the one who helped Bella through another difficult time, the divorce of her parents. The already troubled marriage, apparently, was not helped by Bella's accident, and it became too much for Charlie and Renee Swan to continue holding their marriage together. The Swans divorced and Renee moved back to Phoenix where her family was from, choosing to leave Bella in the care of her father, not wanting to disrupt her life any further. _

_This brought Edward and Bella even closer. The rest, as they say, is history._

Even then, Carlisle already saw the spark of connection. They got along exceptionally well, despite any differences. He was very curious if anything more developed between them. Seeing them as they were now, he would actually be astounded if there wasn't more to their friendship.

Bella grew up into a beautiful, young lady, and Edward was also an attractive boy, if Carlisle were to go by all the girls that would call his youngest son at all hours, and the musings of his other two sons. Carlisle chuckled to himself again realizing that he and Esme must've done something right since their sons seemed to be quite popular, especially with the girls. Going back to thinking about Bella and Edward, he felt that it would only be natural if their feelings grew, as they spent so much time together and seemed so compatible. This led him to think about he and Esme, and how their love began in a similar fashion, and then it made him long to be home with his wife.

His impatience came forefront to his mind once again, and he was just about ready to get out of his car and physically drag Edward away so that they could finally go home. He knew he promised Esme that he wouldn't do such a thing, but it was now officially 45 minutes later, and it was simply ridiculous to wait so long. Luckily, Charlie came out of the house and to the rescue.

Edward immediately withdrew his arm around Bella, and stood at attention. Carlisle watched in amusement. After all this time, Edward was still intimidated by Bella's father.

"Edward, boy," Charlie boomed, "don't tell me that you and Bella have been out here this whole time, still talking, while your dad's been waiting in the car." All glances turned to Carlisle, who just smiled and gave a little wave, trying to hide his annoyance.

Charlie continued, "If I had known, I would've invited your father back inside for a beer. If you kids weren't through, you should've said something. Carlisle could've come inside or just come back for you later, Edward. That's not a nice thing to do to your dad."

"Uh, I'm sorry Sir," Edward began to say, "I should've been more considerate. We didn't realize the time. I'll be sure to apologize to him."

"I'm sorry too," Bella spoke up while she stood, then turned to Carlisle's direction and raised her voice louder, "Sorry, Mr. Cullen," and she gave an apologetic wave. Carlisle just smiled again and waved back.

"We better get going Edward. You mom is waiting on us for dinner," Carlisle called out through his open window.

"Bella, you better say goodnight to Edward now and head on in. Dinner is ready for us as well. Best to not be keeping Carlisle waiting any longer," Charlie told Bella, then shouted over to Carlisle, "Sorry, Carlisle. I would've invited you in if I knew you and Edward were still here. I thought Bella was just hanging out here by herself before dinnertime. I should've known that the kids were lost in conversation again."

"Don't worry about it, Charlie," Carlisle said as he gave another wave. "Edward, say goodnight to Bella and Mr. Swan now. We have to get going and I do mean right now."

"Um, yeah...okay," Edward called to his dad before turning his attention to Charlie. "Mr. Swan, thanks for having me over today. You have a good evening, Sir. Goodnight Bella, I'll call you later." With that he gave Bella a quick hug then raised his hand for a high-five for which Bella reciprocated. It was their standard goodbye greeting.

Bella giggled, before stating, "Not if I call you first. See you tomorrow." With that Bella gave a final wave then headed inside.

Bella began work on setting the dinner table and making the last minute preparations for dinner, pushing the conversation she just had with Edward to the back of her mind. They would have to revisit it later. Charlie followed inside soon after he gave his final regards to the departing Cullens.

Edward finally made his way inside the car and Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally go home and he can get on with his evening. He quickly texted Esme that they were finally on their way, and to please have dinner ready.

Carlisle was starving. He really looked forward to eating the dinner that was waiting for him. As he put the car in gear and backed out of the driveway, he could smell the steaks that Charlie and Bella were having and it only made him hungrier.

Edward heard Carlisle's stomach growl and chuckled to himself. "Oh, so sorry, Dad. I...we really didn't mean to keep you waiting. Bella and I were just talking and we didn't realize that time was getting away from us. I'm sure you're hungry after a long day at work. I'll mind my manners better next time," Edward said sheepishly.

"Oh, it's alright, Son. After all these years, you would think I would've learned my lesson already. Once you and Bella get deep into conversation, it's practically never-ending. It's always been that way since you kids were five. It only just occurred to me that I could've gone home and come back, and you both probably wouldn't have noticed," Carlisle responded with a chortle. "If I'd done that, at least I wouldn't be bored or starving right now. In my exhaustion, I actually didn't think of any other possibilities but waiting. Only when your mom pointed it out to me, did I actually realize." He chuckled to himself some more.

Edward looked disbelievingly at his dad. "We're that bad?" He inquired.

Carlisle chortled again. "Oh yes," he quickly answered, "Always have and always will be, I suppose. Son, in case you didn't realize, I had been waiting in the car for nearly 45 minutes after you first made your way to the door and said your initial goodbyes. I thought that we were ready to go and before I knew it, you and Bella started talking again then you both sat down on her front stoop lost in deep conversation once more. It looked serious, so I didn't feel right to disturb. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly were you kids discussing so intently? At one point, I saw you comforting her. Is everything all right? Anything... maybe I can help with?"

"We were just talking about the upcoming school dance," Edward answered. "Nothing really that requires your attention."

"Was that all? I really thought it was something more serious," Carlisle responded with a laugh. "Well, I guess, for kids your age, high school dances are very serious things. So, were you discussing the details with Bella? Like what time you were going to meet up? Or are we picking her up? Were you kids talking about color coordinating your outfits? I'm sure Bella would look lovely in whatever she wears. She is such a beautiful girl. I'm sure she has many admirers." Carlisle then turned to Edward, momentarily taking his eyes off of the road, to gauge his reaction to the statement he left hanging between them.

Edward was not flustered by his father's statement at all and simply stated, "Bella is a pretty girl. One of the prettiest at school actually, but she doesn't flaunt herself around like some of the other girls at school. You know how she hates to draw attention to herself, so she downplays her looks, her smarts, and her talent a lot. She's really a great girl all around, both inside and out. She's very cool like that. Any guy is lucky to go out with her. A lot of guys do talk about her and Em, Jazz, and I hear things around school. She's one of the good ones. She doesn't date around. I think more guys would want to ask her out if they weren't so intimidated by Chief Swan," and then Edward paused with a fit of laughter, before continuing again, "These guys are very lucky that they've been very respectful of her, cause she's one that does deserve a hell of a lot of respect and to be treated with the utmost regard, you know, or else I'd be bashing a lot more faces in. Em and Jazz would back me up on that."

"Wait," Carlisle chimed in, a bit alarmed. "Was that why you were hauled into the office last week? Your mom told me about her meeting with the principal, and the week's detention you got because of it. Your mom said that the details were vague, even from the principal, and you didn't want to talk about it further. You took your punishment like a trooper, and, therefore, she didn't press it. Maybe you should come clean now, before you're allowed to go to this dance."

Edward hesitated at first, but then responded, "Uh, yeah, about that. Let me say first that I've already served out my punishment for landing in detention last week, so whatever I say now, you can't rightfully punish me again. You're a doctor, but you've heard of the double jeopardy clause in our justice system, right?"

"Duly noted, Son," Carlisle said with a chuckle.

"Okay, Dad. I got into a little altercation with this kid from school, James, who just happens to be the principal's nephew, although not many people know that. That's probably why Principal White didn't say much. I didn't bash James' face in, exactly, just defended myself. He actually threw the first punch, and there were witnesses to back that up. I ducked and he missed, but I gave him a blow to the gut so he would become incapacitated and wouldn't try to hit me again. Emmett and Jazz taught me that. He didn't wanna let up, though. He kept trying to hit me, but his aim was poor and my reflexes were quicker, so he couldn't get a good shot in. He finally was able to tackle me down, by pulling my legs out from under me, but before he could land a good punch, he got pulled off of me. Then we both got sent to the office. I swear, Dad, I only hit him once. I spent most of my time just ducking and dodging his blows."

"And this had something to do with Bella, I'm guessing?" Carlisle inquired as he interrupted.

Edward continued, "Well, yeah. He was hassling her Dad. Bella's just been too nice about it. That's the way she is, too sweet and innocent. She wouldn't even go tell his uncle, the principal, or even confide to Chief Swan, so I thought it was about time I stood up to him for her. He kept asking her out persistently, but she hasn't exactly been interested, and so she's told him many times, in the nicest way possible, that she wasn't interested. He just wouldn't take no for an answer, though. Right before the fight, he had been bothering her about going with him to the dance. She kept saying no, and even told him that she already had another date to get him off her back, which pissed him off to no end, and then he started badmouthing her and drove her away in tears. That was totally unacceptable, and Bella never deserves any guy to treat her that poorly. We had gym together after that, and so I confronted him inside the locker room, and told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone. Anyways, he started mouthing off again, spouting a whole bunch of nonsense about me and Bella, which really grated on my nerves, but I decided to keep my cool. I think that made him more mad that I wasn't reacting, so he just came out swinging. Principal White knew the deal, and probably was quite ashamed of his nephew, so I get detention with a promise to not make a big deal out of it, and James got suspended for a couple of weeks, albeit hesitantly by Principal White. Mr. White knew that if he didn't, I would make a stink and cause trouble anyways."

"Well, I'm glad your principal did the right thing. I'm sure he knows better than to mess with you," Carlisle said as he chuckled some more. "I'm your father and I wouldn't want to mess with you. You've inherited the deviousness and cunning of your grandmother. Anyways, I'm sure Principal White wouldn't have wanted to upset your mother and I, especially with all our connections. Anyways, glad it's in the past, and this James fellow is apart from you both for a while. I actually admire that you defended Bella. That's how a good gentleman acts towards a good lady. Something your mother and I tried to instill in you boys. Does Bella know about your gallant act?"

"Yeah. At first, she wasn't too happy about getting myself in trouble over her, but then she thanked me, and we chose to just not dwell on it. She really doesn't need to be reminded of...and forgive me for my language, Dad...that fucker, James."

Carlisle just rolled his eyes at his son. However, he couldn't exactly blame his son for his choice of words, as he, himself, would've described this James boy similarly.

"Sorry, but that's really how I feel about him. After he gets back in school, I'm going to make sure that he stays away from Bella, and Em and Jazz are going to look out for her too."

"Now, hold on a minute, Edward," Carlisle interrupted, "I don't want a repeat of last week, and I certainly don't want you or your brothers hurt. There are ways to deal with the boy and defend Bella without getting into any more altercations."

"Don't worry, Dad. No more fights, I swear. I don't plan to engage him in that way again. I just plan to make sure that Principal White knows to keep his nephew in check when it comes to Bella, and between myself, Em, Jazz, and some other friends, make sure that Bella doesn't even occupy the same space in school, so he won't have a chance to hassle her again. Thank goodness he doesn't have any classes with her, cause frankly Bella's way smarter than him and he's spending his time in all the remedial classes. Because of his suspension, he's not allowed at any school functions, so no dance for him. Bella will enjoy the dance in peace," Edward concluded.

"Speaking of the dance, did Bella say that you were her date? That's why he became so angry with you?" Carlisle asked.

This time, it was Edward who chuckled to himself, before answering, "No. Bella's not going with me, and from the looks of it now, she isn't going to go with anyone else. She just told him that in hopes that he would back off. As much as I'd like to take Bella to the dance, Dad, cause it's probably a guaranteed good time, it wouldn't exactly be right for me to go with her and not the new girl I'm seeing. This dance isn't any big deal, but it's supposed to kinda be like our first date...like a first outing as a couple. Thank goodness, it's just a plain dance, y'know. Not any big deal...just Student Council trying to raise money. I don't really know how things will go with Jessica."

"Oh," Carlisle stated in surprise. "Jessica? I didn't realize you were already seeing someone? So, you're like dating this Jessica girl now? This is a new thing, isn't it? I thought you were talking a lot lately with the Mallory girl? What's happened with her? I thought maybe you'd be asking her out." Carlisle bombarded Edward with questions. He was genuinely interested in this conversation.

"Yeah, Lauren Mallory. We had been talking for a while now, even hung out a few times, but it never went anywhere really, and I kinda dropped her a few days back. She's okay, but she really liked me more than I ever liked her, or could ever like her. She was pretty enough, but she kept trying to push the dating issue. We really had very little in common. So, I started talking to Jessica, and believe me, Lauren is not anywhere like her friend, Jessica. Thought I'd try things out with Jessica. See how this dating thing goes with her," Edward replied.

"Lauren's mother works in the hospital, y'know. Mrs. Mallory always gives me a dirty look these days. Now, I finally understand why. Never would I have thought that my sons' love lives would go as far as affecting my own personal relationships. You know, your mother and I still haven't mended things with Siobhan and Liam after what happened between Maggie and Emmett last summer. So, do you think it's wise to start seeing Lauren's friend, Jessica? Being that they're friends and all? Are they even good friends?" Carlisle inquired innocently.

Back in his time, there were some unwritten codes of conduct about dating. Certainly, one of those rules was not dating amongst the same circle of friends, because things are liable to get messy. He wasn't sure if these unwritten rules still applied at all today.

Edward rolled his eyes at his dad before stating, "I know what you're thinking, Dad. Let me just say that there's really no honor amongst friends over at Forks High, except for maybe Bella and her little clique of girlfriends. The town's so small, Dad, that it's kind of difficult not to start dating within the same circles. Didn't you learn this from Jazz or Em already?"

Carlisle gave a chuckle before responding, "Well...honestly, Edward, I don't believe I'm fully aware of how much your brothers have been dating, so I don't really know. I've known and really only ever heard of a few girls between both your brothers. I'm really not very up to date on all of your personal lives, as you can tell. I should probably change that. You're all becoming men now. As your father, there are probably some things we should be discussing. Come to think of it, I guess I've been slacking in my fatherly duties."

Edward rolled his eyes at his dad again, feeling that he knew where his dad was going with this line of conversation. Carlisle, having caught it in his periphery, gave another hearty chuckle.

"So, what made you pick Jessica to go out with? I'm sure you had your pick of girls to choose from."

"Well, she's less like Lauren and more like Bella, I guess. She's nice enough, fairly easy to talk to, and she's pretty and got the same petite figure as Bella. Only thing is that she doesn't match Bella up here," Edward mentioned as he tapped his temple with his fingers. "Jessica also didn't have a problem with my close friendship with Bella, and she wasn't like all the other girls who pestered me about going out with them. So, I thought why not. It's really no big deal, Dad. I'm not like in love with her or anything, but I can grow to like her more."

Carlisle glanced at his son with a sly smirk. "Hmmm...I think I see."

Edward didn't miss the discerning look on his father's face, which actually perplexed him. He could almost see the wheels turning in his father's head. He was normally very good at reading his father, but this time it was different. Their conversation on the drive was quite random to Edward. His father had been correct in his assessment that he had been too involved with his own life to worry very much about his son's teenage trials. The only thing he could gather was that his dad was fishing for something, but for what he couldn't even begin to fathom. He scrunched up his face at his dad and gave him a long sideways glance, as if doing so would help him to read his father better at the moment.

They pulled into the garage of their home, nestled in the woods, almost on the outskirts of Forks, which meant the conversation they were having was effectively over. Carlisle was a bit disappointed that he and Edward didn't quite get to discussing Bella fully yet, like he wanted. Being in the car alone together was a perfect opportunity for Edward to have been candid with him. Somehow, he knew that bringing it up as dinner conversation wouldn't exactly garner the same result.

Carlisle really was curious where things stood with Edward with regards to Bella. Edward couldn't stop praising Bella, yet he still chose to see all these various other girls. He didn't seem very satisfied with any of them thus far. Of course, Carlisle knew, what was obvious to him, Edward was probably oblivious to. That was just how things worked with young teens these days.

He wanted to continue his conversation with his son, and it felt good for him to reconnect, as his busy schedule as a doctor kept him from being available and having these kinds of talks more often with his kids, even if it was just about a mundane dance. Although, now that he thought about it some more, there was no time like the present to start these father and son talks he needed to be having with his sons as well.

"Edward," Carlisle said before Edward made his way to the door leading inside. "After dinner, what do you say to coming over to my study and we can continue our little chat?"

"Um, sure. I guess, Dad. Although, I don't know if there's really anything more we could talk about," Edward replied.

Carlisle gave a sly smirk then responded, "Oh, I think there's still a lot of conversation left.. Most of all, I just wanna catch up some more. If that's okay with you? Sometimes I just feel so out of touch with you kids these days, y'know."

"Yeah, okay...whatever, Dad. Let's go eat. You were the one that said you were starved," Edward concluded before heading inside to his waiting mother and brothers.

Carlisle followed soon after Edward. Dinner was ready, and the Cullens settled in to eat together as a family, like they always have. The specific conversation Carlisle was having with Edward in the car postponed until they retired to his study later.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

In the meantime, Bella and her dad were in the middle of their evening meal, happily partaking of the steaks that Bella prepared and Charlie grilled, in awkward silence. Charlie looked at Bella warily, knowing that he had several questions of his own to ask Bella about her relationship with Edward and her possible feelings for him, but was unable to formulate the words. The arm Edward had around his daughter didn't escape his notice.

He wasn't exactly practiced in having these types of father-daughter conversations, and he felt out of his element. He found it highly amusing that as the Chief of Police of Forks, he could interrogate and not be intimidated by even the most hardened criminals, yet he was somewhat terrified of having a simple conversation with his own daughter.

Her father's wary looks and constant mouth opening then closing, as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it, didn't escape Bella's attention. Obviously, her father wanted to talk to her about something, but just couldn't seem to start. Bella decided that she'd let her father off the hook.

"Dad. Is there something you wanna say?" Bella inquired.

"Uh...uh...why...why would... you say... that, Bells?" Charlie stuttered.

Bella looked incredulously at her father. "You don't think I'm completely unobservant, do you? I've been watching you watching me this whole time and make like you've been trying to say something. You keep opening your mouth, but it's not to put food in it. You've hardly even touched your plate. So, c'mon, out with it. Was there something wrong with the food? Did I do something wrong? I really wouldn't be offended if you thought I did something wrong with dinner. Admittedly, I was a bit distracted," Bella verbalized.

"No, no, Bells. The food is fine...more than fine, actually. You know I could never complain about your cooking. You are an excellent cook, better than I could ever be. If you think about it, you only prepped things this time. I was the one who actually cooked it while you were outside talking to Edward, which I didn't even realize he was still here and poor Carlisle had to wait," Charlie responded then chuckled to himself, "I was too intent on not mucking up your great prepping."

"Oh, okay, Dad. The food is just fine by the way. We make a great cooking tag team," Bella commented with a smile. She watched as her father continued to give her a wary look. "Is there something else, Dad?"

Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat, dreading to be bringing up the subject of boys, particularly Edward, to his teenage daughter, but knew that now was as good a time as any to broach the topic. He took a few more large gulps of his Vitamin R that he was pairing with his dinner, because there was nothing like some liquid courage. Tame as the beer was, it would have to do, since Charlie wasn't about to go break out the harder spirits from the liquor cabinet. Doing so would've probably freaked Bella out to the point of no return, and that wasn't his aim. She was already tense as it was.

"Oh, oh...Dad. What is it? You're chugging that beer like it's water, when usually you're more the savoring type," Bella asked, her voice full of concern, as she arched an inquisitive eyebrow at her father.

"I don't want you to be alarmed, Bells. There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you. I figured now is as good a time as any. It's just that your old man here is in new territory, and...well, it's a bit difficult for me, so you've gotta cut me some slack."

Bella's mind raced with a hundred different scenarios her father could possibly be afraid of discussing with her; however, before she could settle on any one thing, her father began to speak again. Charlie was visibly uncomfortable, squirming in his seat, and it made Bella all the more leery.

"So, um, Bells...what was it that you and Edward were talking about this time so intently? I thought you guys already finished with that project for school."

"Yeah, we finished with the project for our Bio class. We weren't talking about that. No need to anymore, everything is all done with the project. We were, um, talking about other stuff," Bella said as her voice got low. "I guess we just got lost in our conversation, like we usually do."

"It looked like you guys were discussing something quite important and very personal. I don't mean to pry, but I'm just a little concerned, that's all," Charlie stated.

Bella answered, "We were just talking about the upcoming school dance."

"Oh," Charlie started, curiosity in his voice. "So, did Edward formally ask you to this dance?"

Bella bursted out a hearty chuckle before responding, "Nooo. Geez, why would you assume that we'd be going together? FYI, Dad, Edward got himself a new girlfriend. I mean a real girlfriend, not just a girl he hangs with or talks to. They've been kissing it up all over the school. He, of course, is taking his new girlfriend, Jessica, to the dance. It's going to be their first real outing as a couple." Her voice sounded mildly irritated even to her ears, although she didn't exactly know why. "They both seem pretty excited about it."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Bells. You must be disappointed. How do you feel about Edward dating this Jessica?"

"Oh, it's okay. To be honest, I guess there are worse girls he could be going out with. Jessica, frankly, doesn't have a lot upstairs, y'know. I think he'd be a better match with someone more on his intellectual level, but, hey, what do I know. I'm just a friend. He doesn't really come and ask my approval about the girls he wants to date. We've always only been friends, so I guess I really don't have any say in what he chooses to do with his personal life. I've got no hold on him, and we'll never see each other that way. He must like her enough to swap spit with her," Bella paused, realizing that she gave her dad an unpleasant visual. It was even unpleasant in her mind. She blushed a deep crimson from the embarrassment of her words.

Charlie cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, clearly trying to expunge the unpleasant images. "Yeah, okay. If you're all right with it. So, are you still planning on going to this dance, anyway? I mean since Edward will be going with his girlfriend. I'm sure he'll be otherwise preoccupied. Is there anyone else who could keep you company? I would hate for you to not have a good time."

"Yes, I'm still planning to go, at least if you'll allow me to. I was going to ask you later, maybe after I'd buttered you up with dinner and your team won their game," Bella said with a chuckle. Charlie also couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm not a wallflower, Dad. There were four guys that actually did ask me. Well, five, but the last guy doesn't count cause he got himself in trouble and he's not allowed to attend the dance anyways. Yes, surprising, I know that any boys would pay me any mind. It was a big surprise to me too," Bella stopped. She watched as her father stood and made his way to the fridge to retrieve another couple of beers.

"Don't mind me, Bells. Just getting myself some more to drink. By the way, Bells, you're a very lovely girl, even Edward thinks so. I'm not so surprise that there are boys that find you appealing. Please go on," Charlie said, his head still peeking into the fridge.

It didn't escape Bella's notice that, at first, Charlie pulled out two bottles, then decided on just retrieving the rest of the six pack. Charlie immediately and deftly twisted the cap off of one and took a long pull, before tucking the rest of the pack under his arm, then making his way back to the table. He set his beers down in front of him and took his seat, then nodded for Bella to continue. He was shifting and stirring around trying to make himself comfortable, all the while taking big swigs of his beer, visibly showing that he was far from comfortable with this conversation.

Bella looked at her father incredulously. "Um, Dad...are you sure you want to continue talking about boys? Honestly, you don't look so good, and the way you've been downing those beers...," Bella trailed off.

Charlie took another long swig out of the bottle in his hand, swallowing the last bits of the liquid, before stating, "Okay, Bells, I'm not gonna pretend that I'm enjoying this conversation. Frankly, I'm not. But, I don't believe that any father with a teenage daughter would be thrilled to realize that their little girls have grown up and is already thinking about the opposite sex." Just then Charlie let out a huge cough, and Bella blushed at the mention of the word, before Charlie continued, "I mean boys. I could never wish to have your mother around more than at times like these, but she's not, and I've just got to be a man and suck this up. So, do go on and tell me about these boys that asked you to the dance. I think my permission may be contingent on who these boys are. Let me have names and everything you know about them. Are they older boys? I might need to head into the station and do some background checks. So, which of these boys do you plan to accept? I'll need to do a more extensive check on him and his family. Does Edward know these other boys? What does he say about them? Maybe I should have a little chat with Edward next."

Bella rolled her eyes at her father. "Okay, Dad, you don't need to go all Chief of Police with these poor boys, and please don't. I rather like having boys like me, whether I like them back is irrelevant, but it'll be no good for me if you start chasing them away with your cop routine. I'm already taken aback that these guys weren't intimidated by the fact that you're my father. I'd like to have a dating life, Dad, if I could, and that won't happen if you chase away any potential suitors." With that, she raised a defiant eyebrow at her dad.

"Alright, alright, Bells," Charlie acknowledged, raising both his hands up as if in surrender, "Forks is a small enough town, so it's not like I won't find out anyways. You still haven't told me who you'd be doing the honor by accepting their invitation."

"Actually, that was what Edward and I were talking about outside. At this point, I don't think I'm going to end up going with anyone," Bella stated with a huge sigh.

"Oh?" Charlie perked up.

"Yup. It's looking that way. You see, I know these guys from school and all, but I don't really know them, y'know. The only boys that the girls and I hang around with are Edward and his brothers. I was asking Edward's advice about them because he knows these guys better, and it seemed that he would give me his honest opinion. I mean, he's never lied to me before or ever been shy about stating his opinion. Rose, Alice, and Angela weren't really any help to me as usual. They just kept saying that so and so was cute, or that so and so would make a good dance partner. But, you see, I wasn't really interested in whether they were cute or not, as they all looked all right to me, or if they could dance good. I'm sure we'd manage together, somehow. I wanted to go with someone that I would genuinely have a good time with. I wanted to know which one I would have some things in common with, would be easy to talk to, and be nice and gentlemanly. Basically, I wanted to know who had the potential for me to like them, and possibly go on more dates with. I'm not one to waste time on some boy, just so I would have someone to go to the dance with," Bella concluded, as she took a long sip of the lemonade she paired with dinner, and started finishing off the last bits of the food left on her plate.

"So...what did Edward have to say about these boys?"

Bella sighed again before answering, "He didn't really have any glowing recommendations for any of the guys, and one of them was even Eric Yorkie, one of the guys he hangs out with on occasion. Eric is on the football team with Edward's brothers. Well, more like he's the mascot for the team. Anyways, Edward knows him well enough."

"Yeah, the Yorkie kid. I know him. His dad, Ken, is one of the editors for the town newspaper. Good folks. He seems a nice enough kid. I wouldn't mind you going to the dance with him."

"He's nice enough, Dad, but we have nothing in common. Eric is all about football, comic books, and gaining attention. I'm not about any of those things. Singing and performing is about all the attention I can stand, and even sometimes that attention gets to me. Eric's sort of a newsie also, like his dad. He works on our school paper. According to Edward, he's always out for a good story, and sometimes he just hangs with people to get a scoop. I've concluded that I think I would be tense the whole night because I wouldn't want to inadvertently say something that he might be able to use in an article."

"Now, hold on here, Bells. You don't think that Edward is deliberately trying to sabotage these boys' chances with you."

Bella gave her father a questioning look. "No. Why would Edward do that? He's got no interest other than friendship with me. He would never be that conniving. I think he's just being protective and trying to look out for my well-being. He seemed rather concerned that none of these guys were gonna treat me right and I shouldn't settle for just any guy just to have someone to go to the dance with. Edward flatly told me that they'd just have to settle for me giving them a dance, if I even wanted to dance with them." Bella rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "We went back and forth on this one for a while. Highs and lows. Finally, I just told him straight that it wasn't like he was going to take me, so why should it even matter and maybe I wouldn't go after all. He apologized for a multitude of things, one of which being that he was sorry that he couldn't take me to the dance, and then practically begged me to reconsider just going on my own and hang out with my girlfriends. Then I went into how I didn't want to hurt the guys' feelings, and he reminded me that I would be hurting someone's for sure if I even accepted any of the invitations. Then he told me it would be okay, the guys were gonna get over with, and he'd make sure they wouldn't mess with me since I turned them down, and that I should really just do myself a favor and just go stag. That's when you walked out, Dad."

"Well, what about Rosalie, Alice, and Angela, then? Do they have dates for the dance? If you go alone, I don't want you feeling like a third wheel with all the couples. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider about any of these boys vying for your affections?"

Bella sighed heavily again before responding, "No. I'd rather not go with any of them. I'm not really interested in any of them, anyways, Dad, so it's just as well. Technically, my girlfriends don't have dates, not that they weren't asked either. Angela and this boy, Ben, have been friends and crushing on each other forever, but they're both too shy to really do anything about it. Neither one wants to go with anyone else, so they agreed to meet up at the dance, but it isn't supposed to be like a date or anything. Rosalie and Alice sort of have crushes on Edward's brothers, and are just waiting for the chance with them, so they've blown other guys off. Alice believes that it's fate that her and Rose ends up going out with Emmett and Jasper; a little feeling she keeps getting she says. Edward and I talked about possibly trying to set them all up together, just to get them out of my hair. That is if Emmett and Jasper don't have dates themselves. Edward doesn't believe that they're seeing anyone at the moment."

Bella saw that they were both done with dinner, having eaten throughout their conversation. She stood and began to clear away the dishes. Charlie glanced at his watch and realized that the game he wanted to catch was about to start, so he grabbed the rest of his beers and made his way towards the living room for a comfortable night on the couch, in front of their big screen TV.

In passing, he said to Bella, "Well, it looks like you've pretty much made up your mind about the dance. You can go." Charlie let out a chuckle. "Look, my team didn't even have to win yet for you to gain my permission." Bella laughed along with him.

"It's good that you get out more instead of being stuck at home with your old man all the time. It looks like you'll have a good time if you stick with Rosalie, Alice, and Angela. I'm sure Edward will be watching out for you, even if he's going with this new girlfriend of his. You're right about one thing. Edward has always been protective of you. I think it stems from how you two first met. You, helpless in that hospital bed," Charlie paused. He closed his eyes momentarily trying to shut out the awful memories of when Bella laid injured in the hospital from being hit by a car when she was only five and very fragile. He took a deep cleansing breath before continuing, "Anyways, I'm sure there won't be any shortage of boys wanting to dance with you, especially since they see you went unattached. Rose and Alice should certainly keep you entertained with them trying to gain those boys' attentions. I suppose you'll have a nice enough time, and that's all I could ever want. Honestly, I must say that I do feel better if you go stag. I don't think I'm quite ready to handle you having this dating life that you want. At least, now I'll be able to be better prepared for next time. I'm glad we had this talk over dinner, Bells. It was very enlightening."

"Me too, Dad," Bella began to say, but before she could get any more words out, the phone rang.

Charlie took that his cue to get comfortable on the couch to watch his game, figuring it must be for Bella, and was probably Edward. Bella looked at the caller id on the handset as she made to answer the phone. It wasn't Edward and she didn't recognize the number.

She timidly said, "Hello. Swan residence."

Bella listened intently on the line before placing the call on hold, then replacing the handset in the kitchen. She then bolted up the stairs, heading for her room, where she would continue the call. Upon passing her father in the living room, she merely stated that the call was for her and that she'd take it up in her room. Already enthralled in the game on TV, Charlie just waved her off. Once in her room, Bella grabbed the second handset from her bedside table and continued with the conversation.


	3. Chapter 1 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N**: I apologize for not having updated sooner. But, I'm trying to really get my writing groove back. There is much writing being done and in the pipeline. Hopefully, the wait wasn't so excruciating and I haven't lost you. Continue to bear with me. If it makes anyone feel better, Chapter 2 is already with the beta, and so that update should come soon after this one.

Many, many thanks and love as always to my beta, Cheermom, for continually taking the time out of her busy schedule to read, revise, pre-read and make my forray into creative writing better!

If I don't update Chapter 2 before Thanksgiving (for those of us that are in the USA), let me wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving now—hopefully, every single one of you have lots to be thankful for this year!

**Thanks for your continued reading and support! **

**Hope you're sticking with the story and enjoying the journey!**

**Please Leave Reviews! I just love to read them!**

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**Chapter 1-Only The Best Of Friends, Pt.2**

Dinner and dessert was finished at the Cullen household. As always, Carlisle thought that Esme had outdone herself. He patted a full belly, very satisfied after his earlier hunger.

Carlisle made his way to the bar area just aside from the dining room to fix himself an after dinner cocktail. He could use the liquid courage to power him through the talk he was about to continue with Edward.

The boys, meanwhile busied themselves with the tasks of clearing away the dishes and cleaning up the table after their meal. It was a rule in the Cullen house that since Esme prepared the dinner, the least her teenage sons could do was to help with the clean up.

Edward packed the leftovers and brought the dishes to the sink. Emmett geared up to wipe down the table and counter tops and clear away the trash, Jasper took up post at the sink for dish washing duty, as it was his night. Esme rarely used the dishwasher and preferred to wash and dry the few dishes that her family used for a meal by hand.

With after dinner cocktail in hand, and seeing that Edward was done with his chore, Carlisle waved over Edward to follow him upstairs to his study. Edward amiably followed along, even though he groaned internally to himself, feeling he knew what this conversation was going to be about. With the other two boys finishing off their chores, Esme settled herself on an island stool to glance at a new magazine that just came in the mail.

Emmett and Jasper looked up from their various tasks then exchanged knowing glances with wide smirks on their faces, and then they both chuckled to themselves. Esme didn't miss the exchange between her two sons.

"What? Why are you two smirking like that?" Esme asked to no one in particular.

"Edward went to go talk to Dad in his study. Dad has a cocktail in his hands. From our dinner conversation, it looks like Dad already knows about Edward's new girlfriend, Jessica," Jasper began to respond.

Emmett interjected, "I know that I may not be the smartest guy, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's about to go down, Mom."

"And what is that?" Esme again inquired innocently, but she believed she knew exactly what her other sons were thinking.

Jasper rolled his eyes before answering, "Mom, it's obvious that Dad is going to have "the talk" with Edward. You know the talk."

"Oh really, now?" Esme said with a smirk.

"Yes, Mom. All the signs point to it. Didn't you even see how Edward groaned? He knows what he's in for." Jasper responded.

Emmett added, "But it's not like Dad can add anything that Edward doesn't already know."

"Oh really? And why do you say that Emmett? I don't suppose that you and Jasper know something special or have been teaching him anything from your wealth of knowledge on the subject. How exactly would Edward be experienced in such matters already?" Esme looked at her sons curiously.

"No! No, of course not! We would never...uh...um, we don't have any information to impart," Emmett answered excitedly, realizing what the context of his words were implying. This was certainly not a comfortable conversation to be having with their mom. "I just meant that we're taught about all that stuff in school. That's all. It's a part of every gym class."

"What he said," Jasper interjected.

"Ah...hmm...well, your father and I know that you boys have probably been through this with several health classes now. However, despite that, there is still some wisdom that your father can impart both as a medical professional and from experience. This is just something that all fathers must endure, especially with sons, and it's a rite of passage for Edward. Believe me, it's as uncomfortable for your father as it is for you boys."

"I doubt that seriously, Mom. I mean, Dad's a doctor. He's use to spouting out all the medical crap and having all sorts of uncomfortable talks with patients and their families. I think he's a pro at this by now," Emmett quickly countered.

"I know those talks are private conversations between you boys and your father, and I won't delve deeper, but I doubt seriously that he approached it so mechanically. He knows exactly when to just be a dad, and when to put on his doctor hat. I'm also pretty sure that he individualized his talks specifically for each one of you. Anyways, if that's indeed what is going on between Edward and your dad right now, he won't exactly be having the same talk either one of you received."

"Really?" Jasper asked looking confused.

"What? You and Emmett didn't compare notes afterwards?" Esme asked with a smirk.

Feigning dramatics, Emmett replied, "It's not exactly an experience we care to share with one another, Mom."

"Yeah, it's not exactly a comfortable topic for conversation," Jasper interjected. "We know it's gone on, but we don't care to mention it ever again." With that he and Emmett both chuckled.

"Alright, whatever, but I'm pretty sure, despite what you think you both may have already known on the subject matter, I'm sure your father still managed to educate you both when you went through the talk." Emmett and Jasper looked upon one another and just nodded. Esme continued, "With Edward actually having a girlfriend now and maturing, well, it's a good time for your father to have the talk with him. It was the same for you both, if I'm not mistaken, so it's now Edward's turn. No big deal. Hey, listen to me boys, you will not demean the experience for Edward when they are through, you hear me. No chiding your younger brother." Esme gave her older boys a stern look.

"Like we said, Mom, we don't think we want to talk about it any more than Edward does," Jasper replied.

"Good," Esme proclaimed, satisfied that Edward's brothers won't be giving him a hard time. "So, this is the first I've heard of this new girlfriend. Jessica, is it? I think you boys and I are going to have our own special talk."

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Edward dutifully followed Carlisle into his study, moaning to himself about what he thought he was in for. They entered Carlisle's massive study, and to Edward's surprise, his father settled himself on one of the comfortable armchairs in the small seating area of the study, rather than behind his massive desk as was his usual protocol.

Carlisle took a sip of his cocktail, really made himself comfortable knowing that he and Edward were in for quite a long talk, then waved Edward over to take a seat with him in the seating area, wherever Edward would deem comfortable. Edward made his way over, but politely declined a seat, choosing instead to remain standing and pretend to be suddenly interested in Carlisle's collection of books, perusing over the many book titles held on the nearby shelves.

"You don't mind, do you Dad, if I browse your books while we talk? It's always nice to get a chance to look at your extensive library. Besides, I think I know already what exactly you'd want to discuss with me."

Carlisle gave a nod of approval then chuckled softly to himself, knowing that Edward obviously had received the wrong impression. He allowed Edward to distract himself, quite certain that his full attention would return to their conversation once Edward realized why they were really having a discussion. He launched into the conversation, and much to Edward's astonishment, the conversation they were having wasn't at all what he expected.

Edward was all prepared to muddle through another birds and the bees lecture, which he wasn't the least bit interested in having, feeling that he was already quite knowledgeable on the subject and knew all he needed to know on the matter, especially about being safe and responsible, which was constantly drilled into his head. If there were anything else he was interested in learning on the matter, he knew that he could probably always discuss sex with his two older brothers, whom he knew were already far more experienced, and that would've been an easier, less uncomfortable conversation. He also knew that, if things necessitated, he could always approach his father with the conversation, as he knew that Carlisle would be open-minded to it, as Carlisle and Esme had always made it clear to their sons that they were quite approachable to discuss anything and everything with them, and no topics were off-limits. Not that Edward was quite sold on the idea of ever going to his father for sexual advice, but he knew that the option was there. So, he really felt that the dreaded sex talk that he thought was going to happen was quite unnecessary.

Amazingly, the conversation that ensued was really less about sexual education, although it was touched upon briefly, but was more about Carlisle trying to reconnect with Edward and get up to date on the lives of his brothers. Carlisle asked about school, whether Edward wanted to follow in his brothers' footsteps and play football or if he wanted to pursue other sports, and girls and dating for both he and his brothers was also conversed about. Also, to Edward's surprise, his close relationship with Bella was discussed extensively.

When it seemed that the conversation was exhausted for the time being, as it was getting to be late in the evening, Edward was excused, and Carlisle retired to his bedroom. Carlisle was more than eager to have his nightly talk with his wife, having been quite enlightened with his quality time with Edward, before sleep would claim him.

The conversation Edward had with his dad was quite enlightening to him as well. It really made him think long and hard about his close friendship with Bella, especially what it meant for their friendship now that he was officially dating Jessica.

He couldn't help but think that his dad knew him so well, choosing to end their discussion with, "I know that you're probably eager to go talk with Bella now, before it gets too late. I know how you two always manage to end your days with talking with one another, so I think we're done here for the time being." That made Edward chuckle, because that was exactly what was on his mind at that particular moment.

He knew that Bella hadn't yet called him, since he had his cell phone in his pants pocket the whole time he was with his dad in the study. It gave him great satisfaction to be the first to ring her.

Edward returned to his room and immediately picked up his cell phone to give Bella a call. To his surprise, her house phone was busy. Bella had yet to get a cell phone of her very own, so it wasn't as if there was an alternate number he could've called. He tried again after a few minutes only to get the busy signal once again. Not wanting to give up on contacting her, he turned on his computer thinking that he may be able to instant message her; however, to his disappointment, she wasn't online. He tried to send an IM anyways, hoping that she'll come online eventually and answer him, after she saw that he was trying to get in touch with her, but after several minutes of waiting for a reply, he conceded that she probably didn't have her computer on. He continued to dial her number in hopes that whatever phone conversation was going on at the Swan house was finished; however, he continually received the dreaded busy signal. He was getting completely frustrated.

After a few minutes of waiting to dial her number again, his phone began to chime with an incoming call and a smile delighted his face, but his smile fell when he found that it was only Jessica giving him a ring, and not Bella, like he hoped. He ignored her, rather wanting to just speak to Bella tonight before he tucked himself in for a night of rest. Jessica was just as relentless in trying to get a hold of him, as he was in trying to talk to Bella, and it annoyed him immensely. He made it a point in his mind to remember to discuss that with her tomorrow. He decided to give the phone a break and ready himself for bed. He took a nice, relaxing shower, and dressed for bed, then settled himself in his mattress. He tried Bella again, and to his disappointment, her phone was still busy. He was very curious as to why that would be the case. He was even more disappointed that there was no evidence that Bella had tried to contact him. His imagination was running wild with possible explanations.

Another call came in from Jessica, and after much internal debate, he decided to end their misery and answer the call; however, he was going to make it quite clear to her that he wasn't in the mood to be having meaningless conversation with her at the moment. Frankly, the minute he put the phone up the his ear, said "hello", and heard Jessica's whiny voice on the other line, excited to finally get in touch with him, he regretted it. He was praying that a call from Bella would interrupt Jessica's useless banter. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have such luck. A few sentences in, he had already grown bored, and found himself getting quite sleepy. He guessed that Jessica had that effect on him; otherwise, he was more tired than he originally thought. His eyes began to droop and he had no choice but to abruptly end the call and drift off to sleep. It was the first time, in a long while, that he didn't end his day with talking to Bella, although it wasn't from lack of trying.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella continued to rub her ear as she emerged from the shower and headed to her room to get ready for bed and lay down for the night. It was understandably a little sore from having been on the phone for such a constant amount of time. She didn't think that she'd ever been on the phone so long that her ear would start to smart, not even with her girlfriends, whom were known to be able to hold long phone conversations, and not even with Edward. Granted, it wasn't just one person she ended up talking to tonight. The news she received was so incredible that she couldn't help but share it with her mother in Jacksonville as well, and so as soon as she finished with her other conversations, she immediately dialed up her mom and chatted with her for a bit, before it got too late in the Eastern time zone.

The Swan household phone seemingly was on fire tonight with an endless stream of calls pouring in. As soon as Bella had hung up with her mom, the phone rang again, but this time it was for her dad. Of course, it didn't help that Chief Swan had misplaced his cell phone, so half the Forks police force was trying to get a hold of him. They were grateful that they were able to get through on the home line. It was non-stop activity after that, because apparently there was a situation, and finally, after much grumbling and amidst protest, Charlie was forced to tell Bella that he had to go into the office. The calls stopped shortly after that, besides it had gotten much too late for any decent person to be calling anymore anyways.

Bella knew that the one person she had wanted to talk to tonight, but just simply didn't get the chance, was Edward. She knew that he probably tried to get a hold of her, but probably couldn't get through considering the earlier constant phone activity. She took a glance at the caller ID and noticed just how much Edward tried to get in touch with her. She felt so guilty that he was never able to patch one of his calls through.

It was too late now to try and call. He would already be asleep. However, she tried anyways, and to her disappointment got his voice mail directly. She left an apologetic message, but didn't go into too much detail, thinking that she'd just talk to him in person the next day. She powered up her computer to briefly check her emails before falling asleep, and was surprised to see that Edward had also tried to IM her. It upset her slightly that she had missed so many opportunities to communicate with him tonight, especially after they both promised earlier that they would talk some more later. She decided to take a chance and answer his IM back, but an instant reply didn't return. As she began to yawn and get very sleepy, she realized that she couldn't wait much longer for a reply. She had to get some rest, especially since she now had to wake up extra early in the morning. She crawled into bed thinking how unfortunate it was that her and Edward couldn't connect that night.

Edward was briefly rustled from his sleep with the ping of Bella's IM message on his computer, although he didn't immediately attribute the slight noise to that. He was simply too sleepy to be bothered with it, and returned himself back into dreamland. He'd just have to deal with it in the morning.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

In the morning when Edward awoke, he found he had missed Bella's late-night phone call and IM. He mentally berated himself for having been too sleepy to answer her. He cursed at Jessica for literally lulling him to sleep with her babble.

There was time before school started, so he immediately tried to give her a call. Strangely enough, there was no answer at the Swan household. He glanced back at his bedside clock to double-check the time, confirming that Bella should've still been home, getting herself ready for school. He thought about the possibility that she might have overslept, but thought better of it, since Bella wasn't the type to. No matter how late she got to bed the night before, she was always awake on time the next morning, sometimes even beating her alarm. Her father could attest to it. Bella was usually the one who had to wake Edward from his slumber, since he was definitely not a morning person.

Edward hung up and tried again, in case Bella hadn't heard the phone or was in the shower, but he still ended up with the answering machine. He tried one more time, for good measure, but when there was no answer again, gave up quite disappointed, knowing that if Bella had overslept she would've been roused from sleep by now. Edward figured he'll just have to catch her at school.

Bella usually came to school by bus, while Edward and his brothers were dropped off by either one of their parents, at least until the boys got their driver's licenses. When Edward arrived at school, he saw that her bus had already arrived and immediately checked for Bella at their usual morning meeting spot in the front courtyard. He was once again disappointed to find that she wasn't there. He was even more perplexed when he inquired about her to her fellow bus riders and found out that she wasn't even on the bus that morning.

Worried that Bella was home sick, or still oversleeping, he tried to call her house again, but still received no answer. Even if Bella had overslept or was sick, she still would've answered the house phone eventually, if she was in fact still home; better yet, she would've definitely let him know, like she always had before, if she wasn't coming to school today. It was certainly very strange that he wasn't finding Bella anywhere that morning.

Edward decided to give Chief Swan a call just so he could ease his concerned mind. A million and one reasons for Bella's sudden disappearing act were racing through his mind, and some were terrible for him to think about, so he just had to know what was going on. He didn't want to be running around school worrying about Bella all day.

Chief Swan was very surprised to hear from him, but confirmed that he personally dropped off Bella early to school that day because of an important meeting that just came up, and that she was probably still in her meeting or was around. He couldn't give Edward any more details then that since he had to end the call quickly because of urgent work he needed to take care of at the station. At least, Edward knew that Bella was at school.

The morning bell rang without Edward seeing Bella at all, which was out of the ordinary for the best friends. Because of their varying schedules, Edward knew that the first chance he'd have to probably see and talk with Bella next was not until lunchtime. He couldn't help but feel already that it was going to be a very long day, and even though the day just began, was anxious for the lunch bell to ring.

Morning classes held no interest for Edward whatsoever, when, normally, he was a more attentive student. This meeting of Bella's intrigued him. It wasn't like Bella at all to be holding out information from him. He surmised that whatever it had to do with, it was a huge deal, since it occupied Bella all morning. He couldn't wait to get all the details from her when lunch time came around.

In between classes, Edward mindlessly made his obligatory walks with Jessica to her classrooms, and subjected himself to more of her babbling. He only paid half his attention to her, choosing to tune her out most of the time, with well placed responses giving her no indication that he really wasn't listening.

He never realized how uninteresting conversation with Jessica really was. It pained him to have to listen to her talk on and on, and for the first time, it occurred to him that Jessica talked way too much. However, he couldn't really hold it against her, figuring that she was probably like ninety percent of the female student body at the school. Girls just liked to chatter. Edward supposed that he had never noticed this trait about Jessica before because when they first started their relationship, they spent an inordinate amount of time occupying their mouths with kissing. There was really no time for useless conversing when your tongue was down someone's throat.

Of course, it could also been the fact that he was just used to Bella, who was not at all a chatterbox. Bella never really had a lot to say, but when she did talk, her words were always deliberate, and had weight and meaning. Edward didn't know if he wasn't giving Bella more credit than she deserved; however, he knew that he was always interested in their conversations together. It was never heedless like Jessica's earlier discussion with him on heels for the dance.

Edward figured that as long as Jessica looked sexy enough at the dance to make him the envy of some of the guys at school, then he didn't care what she wore. There was no more discussion needed about such petty things.

Edward did spy Bella in the halls, but apart from a few waves, never had the chance to really track her down and do more. Bella always seemed to be rushing to her next class, or was occupied by someone else. She also seemed to be keeping her distance, and Edward figured it had to do with Jessica being a constant fixture by his side. Bella was considerate, and she probably didn't want to intrude. Well, Edward thought, he'd just have to be patient and wait till lunch time, then they could really sit down and catch up. He'd make sure that Jessica gave them some space. There would be no chance for Bella to avoid him in the cafeteria.

The lunch bell rang and Edward couldn't get to the cafeteria fast enough to search out Bella. The cafeteria was always their usual meeting spot when lunch began, where they'd usually decide to spend their time eating there with friends and his brothers, or go off by themselves to eat elsewhere. Or if there were any schoolwork for either of them to do, then it was agreed upon that lunch would be spent together in the library.

When Edward arrived to the cafeteria, he was once again crestfallen that Bella was not there. Often times, she'd arrive before he did, since her last class before lunch was near the cafeteria.

He waited around for Bella for a while, during which time he was able to get Jessica out of his way for the whole lunch period, giving her some lame excuse that she did manage to buy. The last thing Edward wanted to do was have to spend lunch with Jessica, and probably her friends, and have to withstand more useless conversation. It was going to be a very long lunch period if he had to do that, especially since he was still kind of annoyed with her today for having lulled him to sleep last night, causing him to miss out on talking with Bella. Jessica went off with her friends, giving him the chance to spend lunch with Bella.

Edward became baffled, when after a long time waiting, Bella still hadn't shown in the cafeteria. He went in search of her, checking briefly at all their usual lunch time haunts, and also the library, but had no luck finding her. Bella had pulled another disappearing act. Edward was seriously starting to get pissed by this point. Lately, Bella was really not acting like herself, and wasn't following their usual routine. What was worse for Edward was that he had no idea what was going on. He wouldn't have minded so much if he had been prepared. It was uncharacteristic for him not to know what was happening with his best friend.

The lunch period was winding down and Edward still hadn't figured out what happened to Bella, not to mention he had not gotten anything to eat. He wasn't hungry so much anyways, as he was determined to track down Bella. He really needed to find out what was going on. He asked around about her, but no one he talked to could give him answers. Come to think of it, he realized that he hadn't seen his brothers nor Bella's girlfriends, Alice, Rosalie, and Angela either. Now, he really felt out of the loop.

Maybe they were off somewhere having a cozy lunch all together that didn't include him. Well, he'd be damned that they leave him out. He couldn't help but feel that this all had something to do with him being with Jessica.

He finally was able to locate his brothers at the courtyard, who just so happened to be talking it up with Alice and Rosalie. Edward couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight, knowing that he and Bella should really do more to help finally make those couples happen. It seemed that his brothers were really interested in Bella's two friends, and well, from the looks of things, Alice and Rosalie weren't going to be resisting their advances.

However, there was still no sign of Bella. He approached them, anxious to find out if they knew anything about Bella's whereabouts.

"Hey guys," Edward called out, gaining the group's attention.

"Hi Edward," Alice and Rosalie responded in unison, while Jasper and Emmett just waved their hello.

"So, bro, not having lunch with Jessica today?" Emmett asked.

"No!" Edward answered, sounding a bit more disturbed by the question than necessary. "We're not attached at the hip, y'know."

"Nope, you're right. You two are attached by the mouth," Rosalie joked, garnering a laugh from everyone except Edward.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Edward responded dryly. "Just shut up about it. Jessica is off having lunch with her friends, which she can do, and I'm allowed to do my own thing. Like I was saying, we can spend time apart. That's normal and healthy for couples. Besides, I've spent enough time with her already."

"Oh, do I sense trouble in paradise already?" Alice inquired, sarcasm clear in her tone.

"No, we're fine. I'm just a little annoyed with her today, that's all. She's been babbling like crazy lately about stuff I really don't care to hear about, so I thought I could use a little break. That's all. Besides, I wanted to have lunch with Bella. I hadn't really talked to Bella since I left her house yesterday, after we finished our Bio project, and, well, she's been kind of disappearing on me today. I think we really need to talk. There's some unfinished business to take care of. Which brings me to why I came over. So, have you guys seen her?"

"Oh, shit, Edward, sorry," Alice began. "Rosalie and I just got talking here to Jasper and Emmett, that we almost completely forgot to tell you..."

"Tell me what, " Edward interjected.

"Bella told us to find you, and let you know that she's sorry but she won't be around for lunch the rest of the week. So, don't count on it. She hadn't gotten a chance to tell you herself. She's going to be occupied with helping out with the dance committee with something. Apparently, she got roped in to help last night or something. Well, you know how Bella is. She's such a do-gooder. She didn't give us the details, so you'll have to ask her more. She just didn't want you to worry or think she was avoiding you or anything," Rosalie answered.

"Well, that would've been nice to know earlier, and I didn't have to spend most of my lunch period looking for her," Edward responded, clearly irritated.

"Like I said, Edward, sorry," Alice said sympathetically. "You still got time to grab something light and quick, if you're really hungry."

"Yeah, thanks," Edward said with a roll of his eyes. "Well, at least I know what's up. So, does this dance committee thing have anything to do with that early meeting she had this morning, cause I swear she came to school early and was gone until first period started."

"Well, all we know is that she had a meeting this morning, and she's going to be having ones all week from the look of things. That's all she told us," Alice acknowledged.

Rosalie chimed in, "Yeah, that's all we got. Other than that, she's pretty tight lipped about all this recent stuff. Like its some big secret."

"Huh. That's pretty weird," Jasper voiced.

"Yeah, that's pretty strange for Bella, and it's even stranger that Bella hasn't yet told me anything, and Bella usually tells me everything. Maybe it's just because we haven't really had the chance. But, anyways, at least she gave you guys some details, and now I know. Otherwise, I'd be going around totally perplexed about why she's been gone. I guess I'll just have to try and find out more from her when we have Biology," Edward replied.

"Um," Alice started, looking a bit apprehensive about relaying her information.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Bella told us that she also got excused from attending her last period, at least until you guys have to give your project presentation. So, you actually won't be seeing her in Bio," Alice continued.

"What the hell? How did she manage that? What the fuck is she up to? This can't just be all about the damn dance committee. The dance isn't any big deal," Edward spouted off, clearly upset by this latest piece of news.

"Oh, who knows. Bella just basically told us not to expect her to be around much, at least until the dance, and possibly next week as well. Stuff came up and she suddenly got very busy," Rosalie responded.

"What the fuck?" Edward spouted irritatedly again.

Alice chimed in, "Like we said, sketchy on the deets. But, if it makes you feel any better, it seems Angela seems to be doing the same thing."

"And, yeah, Ben has been pretty MIA as well," Emmett interjected.

"Well, maybe it's just some thing for all the really smart people here at school, if Ben and Angela are also involved. And the whole dance committee thing with Bella is another separate activity which is just making Bella extremely busy for now," Jasper added.

"If it's a smart people thing that the school is cooking up, then why haven't I heard anything? I would think that I'd get a call to," Emmett remarked, causing everyone else to laugh. "What? Y'all don't think I belong in the same smart group as Bella, Angela, and Ben?"

"Uh, okay, whatever, Em," Edward retorted with a pat to Emmet's back. "Well, all this secrecy stuff with Bella is puzzling. I really wonder what's up. I'm determined to find out. I guess I'll just have to catch her after school or something, then."

"Yeah, well, who knows if Angela and Ben are really doing the same thing as Bella. All we know is that Angela and Ben are kind of pulling the disappearing act too. Maybe it's just coincidence. Maybe they just finally got their act together, solidified their coupledom, and are off somewhere together getting to know each other intimately," Rosalie replied with a huge smirk.

The group chuckled in unison at the thought. Everyone knew all too well how much Angela and Ben really liked each other, but both we're too shy to really act on it, and so they were stuck in limbo between officially dating and a very flirtatious friendship. It would've been great if the both of them actually stopped dancing around their feelings, finally.

The bell rang and the group disbanded, heading off in various directions to get to their classes. Edward stopped by the cafeteria once more to grab a quick apple to eat on his way to his next class, actually regretting not having taken the time to eat properly during lunch, because he was hungry. He could feel his stomach growl with displeasure for being empty. The apple would have to do until he could make it home and raid the fridge. It had been the first time, in a long time, that lunch wasn't spent with Bella.

At least he had found out a little about what was going on with Bella. He didn't really have to worry anymore. The lack of details and the supposed secrecy stirred up his curiosity, however, and he was bound and determined to get to the bottom of Bella's sudden foray into these recent extracurricular activities. He figured it had a lot to do with him not being able to get a hold of her the night before. When school ended, Edward waited for Bella, so that they could finally talk, but again Bella was nowhere to be found. He'd have to wait to call her when he got home.

The week passed on, and true to her word, Bella wasn't around much at school. Except for quick hellos in the halls, in between classes, the only chance Edward got to really talk to Bella was after school, and even then, Edward would have to wait hours until Bella got home from whatever activity was occupying her. By that time, Bella was usually too tired to talk very long, which perplexed Edward even more. Furthermore, Bella was still being quite hush-hush about what was taking up all her free time, just spouting the same stuff over and over again that she had initially told Rosalie and Alice. She was always pretty evasive with his questions, always trying to change the subject, or going as far as ending the call to completely dodge answering. At least, Edward found out that her early morning meetings were separate from the work she was doing with the dance committee, but was related to the after school activity; however, apart from that, Bella still hadn't told him all that he wanted to know.

Bella did end up asking for his patience and understanding, and to just stop bombarding her with his same barrage of questions, trying to find out what was going on. She went as far as mentioning that she's sorry, but she couldn't really say anything more. Being a good best friend, Edward, decided to back off and just let things be. It didn't stop him from being troubled by it, however.

Bella's sudden lack of free time to spend with Edward, unlike before, was really Jessica's gain, as Edward was forced to spend more time with her than usual, and more than he had ever planned to, despite the fact that she was officially his girlfriend. Yes, Jessica was his girlfriend, but he had also hoped to split time with her with time with Bella. Edward actually preferred Bella's company, he realized, and it was disheartening to him that Bella was currently too busy to pay any attention to him.

Carlisle noticed Edward's unusually somber mood one day , and inquired about it, encouraging Edward to open up to him. Edward did, and explained how he was missing Bella, and that things just weren't the same that week because Bella was busy will all this extra stuff that he hardly even knew about. Edward continued on to say that he felt out of the loop with her life, when that hadn't been the case since they were little kids. It was simply strange for Edward, despite having his girlfriend now, to be separated from Bella so much.

Carlisle chuckled softly to himself after hearing Edward out, before dispensing some advice and reassurance. He knew that this time would be a big adjustment period for Edward and Bella's friendship, that's why he had touched on it during his long talk with Edward previously. Carlisle hadn't been wrong. Edward, unfortunately, still lacked the maturity to see that the separation between him and Bella was inevitable. Bella, fortunately, found something to occupy herself with, foreseeing that her exclusive time with Edward had come to an end now that other girls were in the picture. She was handling the transition well. Edward, on the other hand, needed to deal with his separation anxiety from Bella and keep his attention on his girlfriend, where it needed to be. After all, he was the main one that kept touting that he and Bella were only the best of friends.


	4. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N**: I hope I didn't make you readers wait too long for this next chapter! Admittedly, over the Thanksgiving holiday was very busy for my beta and I, and RL hasn't really stopped for either of us. But we've tried our best to bring this next chapter to you all as soon as possible.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate to their hearts content. I know my family did & my beta too. Here's looking forward to the December holidays! I know Hanukah/Chanukah (excuse me if I spelled it wrong) has already started.

Hopefully, the holiday season won't impede my writing groove. I've been trying to write as much as I can, whenever I can, so we'll have to see how well my beta can handle it-she also has a family and a busy life too. Again, no promises, but we'll try.

As always MAD LOVE to my beta, my Fic Wifey, Cheermom. No matter what, she always comes through for me!

**Thanks for your continued reading and support! **

**The reviews have so far been very kind and lovely! Makes my heart swoon!**

**So, PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!**

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**Chapter 2-The Effect Of Minor Separation**

"Okay then, I think I'll just catch you later when you're hopefully in a better mood," Jessica announced, clearly irritated at Edward's sour disposition.

Edward just shrugged, maintaining the scowl on his face, barely acknowledging Jessica's presence. Jessica stalked away, loudly clicking her high heels against the pavement, quite angry at Edward's lack of attention. Edward couldn't seem to care and didn't even bother to glance at her retreating form. He just waved her off.

As she walked away, Jessica passed by Edward's two brothers, a few feet away, sitting atop benches in the courtyard. They were understandably keeping their distance from their brother. It was an unusual sight to see as the three brothers were pretty much inseparable most of the time. Emmett and Jasper had grown weary of Edward's semi-permanent bad mood of late. Instead of getting angry themselves, they decided it would be best to just leave Edward alone and let him just stew in his own bad temperament, hoping he would cool at some point.

Jessica decided to stop and pose a question to them. This would be the first time she really talked to them, but she hoped that maybe they'd shed some light as to why Edward's been acting the way he was. She definitely would like to hang out with him later, but not when he was acting so cold towards her.

"Hey, Emmett and Jasper," Jessica called out to get their attention. "Are you guys having some sort of sibling chivalry with Edward? Is that why he's been such a pain in the ass lately?"

Emmett immediately processed her words and looked confused. "What the hell?"

Jasper thought about what Jessica said for a second before he began to laugh out loud. Both Jessica and Emmett looked upon him quizzically.

"Um, Jessica, I think you meant sibling rivalry, not sibling chivalry. They're completely different," Jasper communicated the reason for his outburst.

"Oh yeah. Okay. Whatever," Jessica quipped, quite embarrassed by her mistake. "Anyways, are you guys fighting or something? Is that why Edward hasn't been in the best of moods this morning?"

"Jessica, please don't tell me that you've only noticed now. He's been a proverbial grump all week. Why do you think we've been staying away? I'm surprised you haven't gotten the hint and left him alone, which is obviously what he's been wanting." Emmett responded.

"I'm not surprised that she hasn't gotten the hint," Jasper whispered to Emmett so Jessica wouldn't hear. "She's not exactly the brightest bulb. You know what I mean?" With that they chuckled to themselves, while Jessica just waited for their little secret exchange to be over before chiming in.

"I did notice that his mood just keeps getting worsest and worsest," Jessica began to say.

Jasper couldn't help but interrupt, "You mean, worser and worser." He found Jessica's obvious lack in intelligence quite amusing. Well, he surmised, what she lacks in brain power, she sure made up for it elsewhere, as he quickly scanned her curvaceous form.

"Okay. Worser and worser. Whatever. You get it. Anyways, I've just been putting up with him, but he's really being a total asshole today. Would you believe that he's so far gone that he didn't even notice what I was wearing today? You know, girls like appreciation for their efforts," she huffed, smoothing out her skimpy outfit, and twirling her hair. "What's his deal? What's the matter with him?" Jessica continued.

"What's the matter with him is that something seems to be seriously bugging him this whole week, but hell if we know what it is," Emmett replied.

Jasper continued, "But, hey, don't look at us. We're pretty sure that we aren't the reason for him being such a major pain. The problem is that when he's all moody like that, he tends to take it out on everyone else around him."

"So, a couple of days ago, we learned to keep our distance. You know, give him some space to be with his own bad temper," Emmett added.

"Jessica, a piece of advice. It would be wise for you, little lady, to just leave him alone for now. Be like us and keep your distance, and I mean just stay the hell away from him. Really, he's not fond of anyone at the moment," Jasper remarked.

"Well, I'm giving him some space now, but I'm his girlfriend. I can't just stay away from him and avoid him the whole day. We're supposed to be a couple, people will talk and think something is wrong between us. Besides, the dance is tomorrow, and there's still things we need to talk about like our outfits, which heels I should wear, and the entrance we're gonna make..."

Jasper just had to interrupt, "He'll use any excuse to unleash on you. Trust us, we know."

"And right now, Jessica, I bet the dance is the last thing on his mind," Emmett voiced.

"Just be glad that you don't live with him. He seems to be worse when he's at home. Why? We have no idea. Our mom and dad are thoroughly annoyed with him these days," Jasper continued on.

Emmett continued to remark, "Oh yeah, man, we have to deal with him all day. He's seriously getting on our nerves and deserves a good beat down. The only reason Jazz and I haven't yet pounded him is because we don't want to get into trouble and not be able to go to the dance. With the way Edward's been acting, I won't be surprised if he gets grounded. Our dad may just get fed up and punish him, finally."

"What? Really?" Jessica asked incredulously, for which Emmett and Jasper just nodded. "Shit! I hope he doesn't get grounded. I would've really wanted to go with him. It was suppose to be our official coming out as a couple, even though everyone already knows it. It just would've been nice to make such a grand entrance together. I guess if he can't make it, I'll need to make some additional plans."

"Wait a minute. You're still going to go, even if he can't?" Jasper asked, surprised.

"Well, duh, of course. It's not going to be my fault that he gets himself punished. He wants to go and act all pissy and ruin his chance to go to the dance then that's on him. I can't have him ruin my fun, too. I already bought this totally hot dress, as well as shoes and accessories to wear for this dance. I'm not going to let it go to waste," Jessica answered.

"Uh, okay, Jessica. Suit yourself. Do what you want. But, if I were you, I wouldn't mention anything to him about going to the dance without him, okay? You wouldn't want to stir him up more than he already is. Then it'll be a surefire way for him to really go over the edge and get himself grounded. Right now, our parents have been quite patient and understanding," Jasper responded.

"Yeah, well, I can't say that I'd blame your parents if they did get very mad. He's been pushing my buttons. But, anyways, I'll just check back with him later, and, hopefully, he's cooled off by then. You guys really have no idea why he's been so pissy?" Jessica inquired again.

Just then, Bella stepped out into the courtyard, and Emmett remarked, "No, but we can guess," nodding his head towards Bella's direction. Both Jessica and Jasper looked over, and then nodded their agreement.

"Well," Jessica started, "if they're having a friendly scrabble then I hope she fixes it soon, so that Edward won't be in a bad mood anymore."

"That's squabble, Jessica," Jasper corrected.

Just then Jessica spied a couple of her friends, and wanted to go join them. " Whatever. Listen, I gotta go. Maybe you guys should tell Bella to fix things between her and Edward, so that I'd still have a date to the dance, hmmm." With that, Jessica ended her conversation with the brothers and ran off to her awaiting friends.

"Damn! Edward sure has himself some chick," Emmett commented to Jasper, as soon as Jessica was out of earshot. "I honestly don't know what he sees in her. You know, Edward has also claimed that Jessica has been irritating him lately. I wouldn't be surprise if she's been the one that's made him all emo, and she probably hasn't taken the hint yet. He mentioned to me once that he dropped the Mallory chick for Jessica, because he felt like she would be more like Bella, and so they should have an easy relationship, like the friendship he has with Bella. But, seriously, I totally don't see the comparison, and I don't see their couplehood as smooth as his friendship with Bella."

"Isn't it obvious, bro?" Jasper voiced.

"What?" Emmett stated, confused.

"What Edward sees in her. Look at her. Decent body and face, nice ass, nice rack, long brown hair, brown eyes. She seems easy-going enough, she's not totally clingy, and she doesn't have a lot upstairs, but overall, she's pretty kind and decent. In a way, she is like Bella, just without the brains, wearing skimpy outfits, and more open to Edward's, um, male hormones," Jasper clarified.

Emmett glanced speculatively at Bella, who was making her way over to Edward, his thumb rubbing his chin, thinking over Jasper's words. "Hmmm...I can see what you're getting at. But, you can't tell me our little bro has the hots for his best friend," Emmett replied.

"Nah, not at all. Both Edward and Bella have kind of made it clear that they'd never be any more than friends. They just don't see each other like that. But, think about it, Em. Bella's practically the only girl Edward has known most of his life. She's not only a great friend, but, admittedly, she's also a knockout, albeit an understated one. Bella's got that natural beauty that most girls would kill for and she doesn't flaunt it around. I think Edward likes those qualities a lot. It's not a stretch to think that he's trying to find those qualities in a woman that he feels more romantically towards. It's the qualities in a girl he knows he'll be comfortable with, since he's so used to Bella," Jasper explained further.

Emmett acknowledged, "Yeah, I can see what you're saying. Hey, has it surprised you that he and Bella aren't more? I mean, they're so damn close, I always thought that it would turn into more eventually. Like these days, you know. I swear, Edward dating Jessica came out of left field for me."

Jasper responded, "Well, yeah, sort of. I began to think it, but then Edward's been so adamant about how he and Bella would never be, that I figured that he just doesn't see her in that way, and won't."

"Well, if there's anyone that could break Edward from his bad mood, or at least get to the bottom of it, it'll be Bella."

"True. But what if she's the cause? Although, I can't think why. She hasn't been around."

Emmett turned Jasper's attention to Bella and Edward, who were now engaged in conversation. "Well, I guess we'll know soon enough."

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella, upon approach to Edward, could already see that he wasn't in the best of moods. He had the scowl on his face, like he always did, whenever he was upset about something. She wondered what could be the matter.

"Hey," Bella greeted warily.

Edward's eyes widened with surprise to find Bella standing next to him. He hadn't seen Bella in the courtyard before school started all week, ever since she suddenly became busy with her secret activities.

"What? No secret meeting this morning?" Edward said brusquely.

"Ooooh, ouch. You sound harsh. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Bella countered.

"Well, you wouldn't know, would you? You haven't really been around," Edward replied, annoyance clear in his voice. "I'm surprised you're here. So, really, no more morning meetings?"

"Actually, just taking a little break this morning. Um, a lot of progress was made, so a break was due. It happens, you know. Hey, you seem to be upset with me for some reason."

"You think?" Edward interjected.

"But why? I haven't done...Wait. You're not mad at me about having to abruptly end our call last night?" Bella asked, quite puzzled.

"Hmmphh...," Edward huffed in annoyance. "It wasn't just last night."

"But, Edward, I explained," Bella responded defensively.

"Yeah, sure, so you say. But, let's see, you've still been pretty evasive. Secret morning meetings, a sudden interest in the dance committee, and some mysterious progress. We've hardly talked at all since we finished our Bio project, and I've hardly seen you. The one class we do have together, and I thought would be the one thing I have to look forward to and actually get to be with you, you're gone. Again, that's curious. I can't help but feel that you're holding out on me, and it's never been like that before. So, excuse me, if I'm a little disturbed by that," Edward said heatedly.

"Oh, not this again," Bella replied with a roll of her eyes. "Edward, I thought we've been over this," her tone exasperated.

"No, Bella, we really haven't," Edward fired back coldly. "You've just obviously been avoiding me."

"I haven't been avoiding you. We've both just been busy."

Edward huffed again, "Hmmphh...You maybe."

"I'm sure you've been preoccupied with your new girlfriend. I kinda knew that, so I understand that we're not going to be spending as much time together, like we used to."

"Okay, I'll give you that. I have to spend some time with Jessica, but I never intended to be spending so much time with her that it took away from our friendship. At any rate, at least, you know exactly what's going down with me."

"And you don't? Geez, It's school stuff, Edward. It's not like I've gone undercover with the CIA or anything. You're obviously making this a bigger deal than it needs to be," Bella fired back with her arms crossed.

Just then, Edward's eyes flashed with anger, and with a raised voice, countered, "You might as well have become some fucking spy for the goddamn CIA with all the secrets you've been keeping of late. What's with the fucking secrets anyways?"

Edward's sudden outburst turned more than a few heads of nearby student body, including that of Jasper and Emmett's, who had been closely observing the two friends. Edward couldn't care less that he was now the center of attention and putting on a show; however, Bella was more than a little uncomfortable. Jasper and Emmett were ready to intervene, seeing the way Bella started to cower under Edward's heated gaze and knowing that Edward was once again being a first-class jerk, like he had been all week. However, Alice and Rosalie appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stopped them from interfering. Together, the four of them, just stood idly by and continued to observe.

"Shhh...keep your voice down, Edward," Bella pleaded. "I don't need the rest of the student body to know our business, and God forbid any faculty becomes involved. Really, Edward, for the sake of your relationship with Jessica, you need to stop acting like you're my keeper. You should really be more concerned with what your girlfriend is up to instead of me."

"Jessica," Edward muttered at an octave lower than it had been previously, "I can handle Jessica. She knows we're best friends and she knows better than to be giving me any flack about it. Anyways, she's not whom I'm concerned about. It's you. I'm worried, Bella. You're holding out on me and its not like you. Don't think I don't know that it's something major, and you seem to be the only one involved. I've been racking my brain for days now trying to figure out what school stuff you're exactly entrenched in and my mind isn't going to a great place. I know we've had trouble with James. Does all this secrecy stuff have anything to do with him? I'm sure Principal White will go through great lengths to protect his nephew, as well as his reputation."

"No, no...this has nothing to do with James whatsoever," Bella interrupted.

"Then what? Is someone else hassling you? Who's the guy? Any of those guys that asked you to the dance still bugging you about it? Or is it a bitchy, jealous girl? Is the reason you won't tell me is because you know I'd go do something about it, and you're trying to protect me from trouble? You know you don't have to do that. I can take care of myself and I'll happily step in for you. I can even get Emmett and Jasper to help. They think of you almost like a sister, already."

"No, no. Edward, you're getting carried away. It's nothing like that at all. Everything is fine, really. Actually, everything is great."

"Is it a guy then? Are you starting to see someone too?"

Bella chuckled at Edward's notion, "Uh, no. Please! Would that really explain everything? I'm not really the type to be ditching Bio for some new, mystery boyfriend." Bella chuckled some more and Edward also laughed at the ridiculousness of his theory.

Bella composed herself and tried to explain as best as she could, "Look, all this school stuff, is really only school stuff. Uh, sort of. Anyways, as much as I'd like to tell you more, I just can't elaborate on this whole thing just yet. I was asked to keep it a surprise and I gave the staff involved my word that I would. What I've been working on with the dance committee is a project in line with this surprise, okay. That's why I got involved with them. It's a lot of extra work, admittedly, which is all I can say for now without giving you too many more details. But everyone involved feels it's worth it, and that's also the reason why they've been very accommodating like letting me out of Bio until we present our project on Monday. Mr. Banner was kind of apprehensive, at first, but my grades were good, and I had told him that our project was already done, which impressed him, so he figured I could stand to miss a few lectures. Doesn't excuse me from the work, though. Mr. Banner has made sure that I've kept up with the rest of the class. I've stayed behind after school every day to receive his lecture notes, complete the labs I've missed, and make sure I understand the material. That along with meeting with the dance committee and continuing this special project, well, you can imagine why I'd been tired and lacking with our phone conversations. I really just head to bed soon after dinner and homework, especially since I also have to come to school early. Listen, I wish I could really tell you more, but unfortunately, I can't, at least not until after the assembly today."

"What assembly?" Edward inquired. "We're not scheduled for one today."

"Yeah, that's what you and the rest of the students think. It's going to be a surprise one, but don't say you heard it from me. That's as far as I go in telling you any more. Just don't worry about me, okay? It's nice of you to, but it isn't necessary. Everything is really great, really. Things are a bit hectic, busy, and taxing right now, but it's just for now. The assembly should explain a lot. I'll fill in the rest of the details later. I need to get going. Gotta do some business in the little girl's room and get myself organized for the day at my locker before homeroom. I'll see you later."

Bella gave Edward a brief hug and a high-five, like was their usual goodbye greeting, then began to run off. She turned around briefly to give Edward some parting words, "Focus on your girl," before she continued back into the school. Bella passed Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Alice on her way, but knowing she didn't have a lot of time left to chat with them, just waved in greeting, before disappearing.

Edward wasn't really satisfied with what Bella had revealed to him. Furthermore, knowing that he was right in that Bella was deliberately keeping things from him, when they used to talk to each other about everything, including secrets, bothered him greatly. However, he understood. Bella had given her word that she would keep things, whatever it was, under wraps with the authority figures, and Bella was nothing if obedient. He'd just have to wait until the assembly to get more answers, and he could hardly wait.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

The announcement for the assembly came just after lunch, and all the kids of Fork High filed into the gym, which had been converted into an assembly hall. Edward noticed that Bella was once again conspicuously absent during the lunch hour; however, figured that it had to do with the upcoming assembly.

Once Edward entered the gym, he found his brothers sitting by Rosalie and Alice, as well as Angela and Ben, and went to join them, choosing to forgo sitting by Jessica, who had been trying to wave him over to where she sat. Edward pretended that he didn't notice her. He was in no mood to have to deal with Jessica just yet. As soon as Edward sat down, he immediately engrossed himself in conversation with his brothers and friends, again ignoring Jessica, pretending he had yet to see her; however, all the while knowing that Jessica was desperately trying to make eye contact with him. He only paid notice to Jessica when Angela pointed out to him that Jessica was trying to get his attention, and then he finally looked over in her direction. Jessica looked quite upset at the fact that Edward wasn't sitting by her and her friends, and she gestured that the seat she had been reserving for him had been taken. Edward just shrugged in apology, then signaled he would text her. He took out his cell phone and fired a quick text Jessica's way. It was really a best way of communicating under the circumstances, instead of trying to understand one another across the gym, and Edward certainly didn't want Jessica joining him where he sat.

The texts fired back and forth between Edward and Jessica, while they waited for everyone to get settled and the assembly to formally start. The texts were mostly heated coming from Jessica's end, and Edward did his best to placate her with his texts back. He finally was able to satisfy her with a promised make-out session during their common study hall period, which should come after the assembly.

Rosalie had inadvertently seen the last text that Edward had sent to Jessica of the promised make-out session , and couldn't help but laugh. She then clued in the rest of the gang as to what she had found amusing, much to Edward's annoyance. However, Edward took the jeers and lewd comments in stride, surprisingly no longer being a hot head and blowing up at the unwanted attention. Somehow, Edward felt calmer, no longer as volatile as before, and it was due to the fact that all his questions about what was happening with Bella during the past week were going to be answered.


	5. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N**: I hope I didn't make you readers wait too long for this next chapter! I don't think a mere 14 days was too long, considering it was the holidays! Considering that I was so busy doing all the holiday stuff alone in the family, I think its quite an accomplishment for me to have this update ready for you loyal readers by NY!

Hope everyone had a wonder holiday celebration with those you love, whatever it was you celebrated—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza (just to name a few)! Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Can't believe that 2010 is over already—it went by in a flash! Bring on 2011! Wishes for lots of good for everyone in 2011! I personally know that I will probably be visiting the theaters a lot in 2011—lots of movies I'm excited to see will be arriving.

As always MAD LOVE to my beta extraordinnaire, Cheermom. She was totally amazing for me, getting into an editing binge, even while not feeling so well!

**Thanks for your continued reading and support! **

**I love reading the reviews, no matter how short and sweet!**

**So, PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!**

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**Chapter 3-Answers Revealed**

Once the assembly concluded, Edward stayed glued to his seat, momentarily stunned by the news, while everyone else began to file out of the gym. He finally had all his answers about what had been occupying Bella, and he mentally kicked himself for not having thought of it before.

He realized that he had seen the signs all week-the hoarseness in Bella's voice when they spoke, Bella's fatigue, frequent disappearance down the hall where the music rooms were located, seeing her talking to the school's choir director, the younger Mr. Black, and Bella suddenly working with the dance committee. It all made sense now and he was beside himself for not having put all the clues together and figuring things out sooner. Of course, all the stuff that Bella recently became involved in had to do with her singing.

The assembly announced that Bella Swan was going to be Forks High School's soloist entry to the annual Tri-County High School Sing-Off Competition. It was one of the biggest events held for the high schools in the Tri-County area, apart from any sports-related tournaments. It was a very big deal in this part of Washington, since most of their Tri-County area consisted of small towns with only one high school, just like Forks. It was one of the few, rare opportunities where these small towns could showcase their talent pool and draw attention to their towns. Schools could enter any of the three competition categories: soloists, choirs, and groups, and it wasn't unheard of for various high schools to enter a competitor in all three

It was a prestigious honor to be a representative for the school, and by default, the town. The towns took pride in their competitors that would be singing at the competition. It was an even bigger honor for the town if the winner ended up actually hailing from there, and moved further into the competition, going to the regionals, and then possibly competing in the statewide finals held in Olympia each year, where the top three finishers always performed for the Governor and his guests at the annual Governor's State Gala. This was a very serious competition that Bella was going to be a part of.

He thought back and couldn't even remember when was the last time a winner hailed from Forks in the Tri-County competition, let alone made it all the way to the Governor's State Gala. He concluded that a Forks winner must not have happened within his lifetime. He made a mental note to ask his parents if they knew of some history about the Sing-Off and Forks participation. What Edward did remember was that Forks High hadn't even entered the competition for a couple of years now, for whatever reason; maybe the school decided not to even bother, since they felt they didn't have the talent previously. Well, the school certainly had the talent now with Bella and one of the best musical departments in the Tri-County area, with the additions of the elder and younger Mr. Blacks to the staff . For the school to decide to enter Bella alone in the soloist category was a monumental event and quite an undertaking to be able to get her prepared, ready, and in winning form by competition time.

He could now understand why Bella was so busy. Of course, having known what was at stake, Bella wanted to completely put her heart and soul into prepping for the competition. Now that he thought about things some more, he actually became surprised that Bella didn't devote even more time to preparing for the competition.

Bella was undoubtedly the best singer at Forks High, and possibly even the town, maybe even the Tri-County area. Edward had no doubt in his mind that Bella could go far in the competition. He's heard her sing numerous times, and even at her worst, he believed that her natural talent rivaled those of any recording artists out there today. It was very understandable that the school's music department wanted to cultivate Bella's talent further and harvest it for the school's benefit.

The younger Mr. Black, Jacob, had recognized Bella's natural singing talent from the moment she first uttered a sound that first day in his choir class. Jacob couldn't help but point Bella out to his father, the elder Mr. Black, Billy, the music department's head, Ms. Clearwater, and the rest of the school's faculty probably. They all agreed that Bella was a rare singing prodigy and was grateful to have her as a student at their school. Edward figured that Mr. Jacob Black had been planning on entering Bella in the Sing-Off competition for a while already, and he just waited for approval.

Singing came natural to Bella, like breathing. Also, Bella had range, and could sing anything from opera to modern pop, without hardly trying, although he knew that Bella much preferred to sing musical theater numbers and modern tunes over anything else. Edward also knew that Bella was a little skittish about performing for large audiences, which no doubt the Sing-Off competition would have, preferring to perform for more intimate crowds. Until very recently, Bella had only ever performed for close family and friends, and Edward felt that half the school's student body didn't even know about Bella's singing talent until the assembly.

Bella did gain some experience singing for a bigger audience over the summer, when she was a part of the Forks Community Center's musical theater performances, and she's been a part of the school's choir performances around Forks and nearby Port Angeles. However, being a solo performer where the focus would be on her alone at one of the biggest singing competitions, was new territory.

Edward figured that getting Bella competition ready must've been what she'd been working on in the early morning meetings went, and why she was absent from their last period Biology class, and generally missing around school. The music teachers were probably having her get her singing repertoire ready, her voice ready, and warming up to the idea of performing for larger crowds. It was why the school had her sing a short song at the assembly, and why she was working with the dance committee. Bella was orchestrating her performance for the upcoming dance. He had to admit that it was a brilliant, well thought-out plan to get Bella ready for the competition. She would only be more comfortable with performing and her performance skills will only strengthen, and she would be ready to wow those Sing-Off judges.

Everything came together in his mind and it all made perfect sense to him now. The only thing that he was left puzzled about was the secrecy that had been involved. He couldn't understand why Bella was unable to tell him, or their close friends for that matter, all about the competition and her practice sessions from the beginning. Instead, they had to wait to find out everything through the assembly. He was determined to find out why that was.

Edward caught sight of Bella getting ready to exit the gym, albeit hindered by faculty and a few other students giving her congratulations and well-wishes. Now was his chance to have a few minutes to talk to Bella privately, before they had to report to their next periods. He approached Bella and pushed past everyone else around her. He gently took her by the arm and dragged her behind him, away from the small crowd, and out through a side exit of the gym leading to the outside, where he knew he and Bella could be alone. Many in the crowd looked at him contemptuously, but he didn't care.

As soon as he confirmed that they were alone, he grabbed Bella into a huge bear hug, the kind that his brother, Emmett, usually gave. Above all, he was very proud and happy for his best friend. Before he got to the bottom of the whole necessity for secrecy, he needed to congratulate Bella first.

"Uh, thanks," Bella muttered, puzzled by Edward's behavior. "Now that you know what I've been up to, I guess you're not mad at me anymore."

Edward finally let her go then responded, "Oh, Bella. I was never really mad at you. I was just frustrated, maybe even a bit jealous. Here you were embarking on something that I wasn't a part of at all, and on top of that you wouldn't tell me about it. It's something I'm not used to. I guess I was being irrational. I just didn't know how to deal."

"Well, at least you admit to it. I've been told that you've been a certified a-hole this whole week."

Edward's eyes widened at Bella's words, then he softly uttered, "I wouldn't go that far. A jerk, maybe."

Bella giggled before stating, "Okay, call yourself whatever you want. You were being your awful self. But, I'm hoping, now that you have all your answers, your mood will lighten up. Geez, Edward, if you were dying to know so badly, you could've just gone and asked my dad. I'm sure he would've told you. It probably would've spared your brothers and our friends a lot of grief, not to mention your girlfriend."

Edward's eyes widened again and he lowly said, "I never thought of that. I was too busy wrapped up in my own frustration to think straight, I suppose. I guess I could've asked him, but then again, I don't really see myself having a conversation with your dad like that. Do you?"

"I suppose it would be kind of awkward. You've never really talked to my dad beyond pleasant greetings and the occasional sports banter."

"Right. I'm not really practiced into talking to dads, apart from my own. Don't see any point in starting up now. Anyways, I think most of all, I wanted you to be the one to tell me, cause we've never really kept secrets from one another before."

"Believe me, I wish I could have. All this wasn't my idea. The music teachers wanted to keep this under wraps for as long as possible. They didn't want the word spreading out too much that they had me as an entry to the competition, and you know how small town life is. Word spreads like wildfire. They didn't want word getting back to the other high schools just yet. at least not if they could help it. You can imagine the school pride involved and the rivalries. After not having entered the competition in like two years, the school really wanted to spring the surprise on the other Tri-County schools. To me, it was all a bit silly, but apparently, the staff here takes these kinds of things very seriously. They really wanted the minimum number of people to know. Y'know, like spy stuff...need to know basis only and I can tell you, but I'd have to shoot you sort of thing. Like I said, silly. But, I wasn't allowed to say anything for their fear that word would inadvertently get back to one of the other schools."

"Even to me, your best friend? Or how about your other close friends? Alice, Rose, Angela? We would've kept quiet," Edward asked incredulously.

"I know, I know. But they really made it clear that my entering the competition was to be a surprise to the entire student body. Look, I can't say that they were right in doing so, but they had their reasons. Apparently, in the past, there were incidences of spying, pranks, and even sabotage. There was a whole bunch of shady stuff and it's part of the reason why the school hadn't even entered in the last couple of years. This is a very big deal around here, and I really had no idea until I was immersed into everything. They didn't want to unnecessarily expose me to any of it. And, also, both Mr. Blacks felt that the Res school wouldn't be too happy that they were working on molding me for the competition for Forks High instead of working for their school, since they are Quilleutes. The Res school kind of already saw it as a betrayal when they both went to work here in Forks instead of stay at the Res school. Anyways, I abided by their conditions, at least until very recently. I decided that it was time to negotiate an end to all the secrecy. I saw how it was causing friction, and well, I kind of stood up to the them and Principal White, and called for it to end as soon as possible. I talked to my dad last night about it, and he told me to do what I thought would be right. So, that's how we came about the assembly today. In truth, you guys would've been kept in the dark much longer. They didn't really like it, but they knew they had no choice because I threatened to drop out of competing."

"So, this assembly was your doing? And it was all for my benefit?"

Bella couldn't help but giggle at Edward's remark. "Oh, please! Edward Cullen, contrary to what you may think, you are not the center of the universe. Maybe for some of the girls in this school who have crushes on you, yes, and probably even for Jessica. But, I didn't just decide to have it all out in the open just for you. You weren't the only that was wondering what was going on, y'know. And, besides, I didn't think I could keep it secret myself for much longer anyways. It was very difficult not to talk to you or the girls about it," Bella's voice lowered. "When I first found out, I very badly wanted to just confide in you, and see what you thought. Admittedly, I was apprehensive about doing this. I love to sing and all, and I'd like to help out the school any way I can, but this competition...it's just such a huge undertaking and it means so much to the music department and the faculty in general. It's a bit overwhelming. I don't even know how good I will do. I'm being touted as this great talent, but I'm not so sure. Mr. Black and the rest of the music teachers are really helping me get prepared and everything, and I appreciate them sharpening my voice and performance skills, but I really don't know how well I will do at the competition, despite all of it. I'd hate to disappoint them after they've put so much effort into this."

Edward looked incredulously upon Bella, "Are you kidding me? You're actually doubting yourself? Bella, you're gonna knock those judges socks off, trust me."

Before Edward could say another word, the warning bell rang, signaling that the students had about five minutes to report to their next periods. Rosalie appeared seemingly out of nowhere, having come from around the corner, and spotted Edward and Bella talking. Edward and Bella visibly noted that Rosalie's lipstick was a little smeared and her hair and clothes were noticeably rumpled, very unlike the usually pristine girl they knew. They both chuckled softly to themselves, having an idea what she had been up to these past few minutes.

Rosalie just snorted at them before pointing out to Edward, "Um, Edward, isn't there someplace else you're suppose to be? I distinctly remember you promising your girlfriend..."

Before Rosalie could continue, Edward interrupted her, "Oh shit! You're right. I was suppose to meet Jessica in the library for, um, our study period."

Rosalie laughed, "Yeah, she's probably eagerly awaiting you to start your studying," and under her breath uttered, "studying of your anatomies," before she continued to chuckle some more.

Bella looked a bit confused by Rosalie and Edward's exchange, figuring it was some inside joke she was missing, but it was understandable since she had been away from her friends lately. "Well, run then, Edward. I'd hate to have Jessica mad at me because she felt I was keeping you."

All three started to head inside. Once inside, Edward just nodded at Bella before taking off in a sprint, headed for the library. Before he had completely disappeared out of sight, he turned and shouted to Bella, "We'll talk more later. I'll call you tonight."

Bella just nodded and waved. Rosalie then took Bella by the arm and said jovially, "C'mon. I'll walk you to your next class. We've got a lot of catching up to do. I haven't even had a chance to congratulate you yet on being entered into the competition."

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Edward made it to the library just in time as the bell rang again signaling the start of classes. He walked inside to find a very unhappy Jessica standing before him, waiting right inside the double doors, a sour look on her face, hands on her hips, and tapping a foot impatiently. He bypassed her momentarily to sign in on the study hall sheet at the librarian's counter, then signaled for her to follow him.

Jessica hurriedly followed behind Edward, as he wandered through the maze of bookshelves, all the while, in a very annoyed tone, trying to ask, "Where the hell have you been? I thought you were gonna meet me here right after the assembly."

Edward didn't answer her, but instead just kept turning around, putting a finger on his lips, telling her to "shhhh." Then continued to walk on. As soon as he arrived at the back-most, isolated corner of the library, where he knew he and Jessica would get a lot of privacy, he wordlessly grabbed Jessica's things from her and along with his own placed it on the nearby window ledge. Edward then, without a word again, gently backed Jessica to the wall, and his mouth was on hers almost instantly, catching Jessica completely by surprise.

Jessica struggled with Edward, trying to push his face away from hers, not feeling the kiss at all. There was no passion behind it whatsoever. It wasn't soft, tender, or any of the things Jessica usually loved about kissing Edward. Edward's arms weren't even holding her, and were instead bracing him to the wall. It was plainly rough kissing.

Since her efforts to push Edward off of her seemed futile, Jessica tried to speak, "Ed-ward...wait! Wait!" Edward didn't seem phase at all by her plea and just continued. Jessica voiced her displeasure once more, "Stop! Just stop! Edward Cullen... so help me..." and she slapped both her fingers on Edward's back. Edward stopped and just stared at Jessica quizzically.

"What? I thought this was what you wanted?"

Jessica rolled her eyes at him, "No, this wasn't what I wanted."

Edward pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the texts from Jessica that they had been exchanging in the gym. He showed them to her then said, "I believe this was you, right. You said I was being a jerk. Your words exactly, 'very un-boyfriend like', and 'that I should make it up to you'. I think that was what I was doing. We both agreed to do this little clandestine session. What's the problem?"

"Okay, I don't know what clan...clandest...clandestine...whatever... means. Let's just drop that. You know how I hate it when you rub your bigger vocabulary in my face. My point is that this was not how I pictured you making up being a total ass to me."

Edward smirked, "Oh," he began as he leaned in towards Jessica once more, "You have better ideas?" He punctuated his question by putting both his hands on Jessica's bum and giving her cheeks a squeeze.

Jessica removed Edward's hands from her rear and then scolded him, "I'm not in the mood now. You've killed it by being late. You've only got yourself to blame."

"Technically, I wasn't late Jessica. I arrived right on time. The bell rang just as I walked in."

"You said you were going to meet me right after the assembly finished. I was gonna head over to you in the gym and thought we could walk here to the library together, like the way boyfriends and girlfriends should do, but I got caught up within the mass exiting of everyone else, and damn Misty kept talking my ear off because she was so excited about the dance. Anyways, I figured you weren't far behind me. Imagine my surprise and how pissed I became when you hadn't showed up like you said. I'd been waiting. I thought that you'd finally stuck your head out of your ass and decided to behave like a proper boyfriend. You'd been shitty all week, and I really have no idea why. Now, you choose to be late to our agreed date here in study period. Don't you think you owe me some explanations first?"

Edward put on his most charming smile, knowing that it always worked to cool down a hot-headed Jessica. "Jessica, why waste time with details and talking? I thought we could just get right to the part we've both been looking forward to. I mean, c'mon, it's not like we have a lot of time. Don't forget that we do have to check-in with Miss Nazi-Librarian and present to her something that we'd supposedly been studying or working on before we leave here, or she won't give us any credit for the day. So, what do you say? Let's get back to what matters," and Edward leaned in once more into Jessica, hoping to pick up where they left off.

Edward, in truth, wasn't really in the mood to be fooling around with Jessica. He honestly would've rather spent study hall actually studying, reading, or even doing dreaded homework than have to spend the time dealing with her. For some strange reason, while the other irritations of the week had dissipated, his aggravation with Jessica still remained, although through no fault of her own, he reasoned. He knew he was being a bad boyfriend to her, but he really didn't care. He was basically forcing himself to make amends, and making out was Jessica's preferred way to do so, to ease the tension between them during the past week.

He had already been warned, unbeknownst to Jessica, by Misty, one of her best friends, that his recent shitty behavior could cost him a date to the dance and a possible girlfriend. Edward figured that a bad breakup with Jessica could cost him more than that, as in the way of reputation. Misty didn't mince her words when she gave him that unexpected phone call. She was adamant that Jessica was getting frustrated at how their relationship was turning out, because it wasn't at all what Jessica had expected, and that Jessica was perfectly willing to go to the dance alone and meet up with friends there, maybe even hook up with someone new. Basically, Jessica was on the verge of calling it quits between them.

Edward's only reasons to pacify Jessica, and not let this happen, were very shallow and two-fold. First, he didn't want to be dateless with the dance coming up so soon. He wouldn't have time to pick a new date and there was no way he was going to go stag or be in a group outing with friends. He felt it would just be too embarrassing, especially since he pretty much bragged that Jessica would be by his side for this dance. There was also no way he was going to miss out on this dance, and that's why even though he was still being a pain in the ass at home, he knew to keep it toned down enough around his parents so as not to get grounded from going. Edward wanted to be at the dance even more now because Bella was going to be performing.

Secondly, while he wouldn't mind ending his and Jessica's couplehood, he didn't want to be the one dumped. He'd much rather end things with Jessica on his own terms. He knew that his brothers would chide him and his friends would find him laughable if a girl, the likes of Jessica, was the one who ended their short relationship. That was something he wasn't willing to endure. He also knew that if things ended badly with Jessica, her friends, especially Lauren would be bad-mouthing him all over school, potentially ruining his chances to find a rebound girl, and he couldn't have that.

Apparently, being the girlfriend of Edward Cullen wasn't all it was cracked up to be. He couldn't help but agree; he knew that girls got the wrong impression about him all the time, blinded by his looks, the Cullen name and money, and that's part of the reason why he and his brothers were popular with the girls. Edward knew that lots of girls who were crushing on him had preconceived notions, illusions, and projected ideal boyfriend fantasies on him. He clearly wasn't at all how they would've pegged him, and would soon figure it out once they got to know him better, much like Jessica obviously had. But, Edward wasn't a fool; he wasn't above taking advantage of their misconstrued perceptions in order to get dates. He figured that only Bella would truly know him for who really was-maybe that's why she was never interested in him romantically.

Misty also clarified that things weren't being helped with Lauren now constantly meddling and whispering in Jessica's ear about how she was glad that she didn't become the girlfriend. Both Misty and Edward had a feeling that there was some intentional malice being done on Lauren's part. She used to be fairly quiet about Edward and Jessica's relationship, but she was now quite outspoken, according to Misty. Clearly, Lauren found the perfect time, taking advantage of the current tension between the couple.

Despite what Edward had explained earlier to his father about dating in the same circles being necessary sometimes in such a little town like Forks, he knew that things also got dicey at times between the parties involved. It still hadn't stopped him from pursuing Jessica over Lauren, once Lauren failed to hold his interest any longer. Although Lauren still remained friends with Jessica and acts like it doesn't bother her that he chose to date Jessica instead of her, he knew and could visibly see the feelings of contempt that Lauren felt. He didn't fail to miss the cold shoulder or the icy stares that Lauren would give him. Misty could see it too, Lauren was quite obvious at times, except to Jessica, who was quite oblivious. Both Edward and Misty agreed that Jessica wasn't bright enough to see what Lauren was doing, probably choosing to believe that Lauren was trying to be a good friend, despite the sordid history. Jessica still naively believed that Lauren took Edward's rejection of her in stride and harbored no ill feelings toward her friend. Edward knew that the best way to avert Lauren's antics was to smooth things over with Jessica now. He had to play the role of the doting boyfriend, even if he was far from being that guy.

Jessica was still unresponsive to Edward's advances, standing stiffly against him, still waiting for explanations, which he didn't necessarily want to give. However, kissing Jessica when she was like this, felt like kissing a cardboard cutout. He figured he might as well give the most basic of explanations in an effort to loosen Jessica up.

Edward began to kiss along Jessica's neckline, figuring it could only help matters, while he explained, "I stayed a little behind after the assembly to congratulate Bella. She's my best friend and this was a big moment for her. I didn't know when I'd have the opportunity to again, since we've both been so busy, and you know, now that the news is out, she'll be even busier, and I will be spending time with you. Of course, there were lots of people that wanted to do the same and I had to wait my turn." He knew that it wasn't completely the truth, but it wasn't necessarily a lie either. He continued on, knowing full well that his next words were almost completely bull, but he couldn't very well admit to Jessica he'd spent all his time talking to Bella and forgetting that he had to meet up with her, "Then I had to run some...let's just say, I had to help my brother, Emmett, out. He's got a mad crush on Bella's friend, Rosalie. I think they ended up, um, talking outside in the yard of the gym, if you know what I mean," Edward finished with a chuckle. "So time got a little away from me, but I really made a mad dash to get here to you as soon as I could."

Jessica was enjoying the neck kisses, therefore, she was starting to be responsive. Edward felt Jessica's body relaxing and started to mold into his. Jessica's arms moved from being stiff at her side to embracing him around his waist. Edward even saw a teeny smile start to form on her lips.

Satisfied that he had successfully won her over, Edward stopped and hovered his lips in front of hers and said lowly, "So now can we get back to what we originally came here for?"

Jessica smirked and answered back lowly, "Only after you tell me why you'd been in such a bad mood lately."

"Why does it matter?" Edward retorted, backing away. "I'm in a better mood now." Jessica was starting to irritate him again, though.

"Because I think it's important that, as your girlfriend, you should be able to talk to me also. Not just always Bella. Did your shitty mood have anything to do with Bella? I bet it did. Lauren was telling me..."

"Oh God! Please! Let's not talk about her or Bella. Just focus on us. None of all that matters anymore, cause things have already changed. But, y'know what, you've seriously killed my mood with all this wanting to talk first BS. You know that you and I aren't like that. Hey, if you'd rather really study like we're supposed to, we should get to it. There is some reading I could stand to do," and Edward proceeded to turn and walk away from Jessica. He had a sly grin on his face thinking that he might've actually gotten out of having to make out with Jessica, when he wasn't really in the mood to, but yet things were smoothed over for now in their relationship.

"Wait!" Jessica pulled Edward back to their corner. "You're right. What was I thinking?" She then pulled him in close to her. Whispering she asked, "No one will know what we're doing here, right? We won't get caught, or in trouble?"

Edward had to chuckle, "Jessica, we're in the nether regions of the library. Why do you think I brought you to this exact place. No one comes around here, not even the librarian. Look at the dust on the bookshelves. It's a great place to hide-out for a little while."

"Okay. I believe you owe me, Cullen," then Jessica planted her lips on his. Edward internally groaned, but he had no choice but to kiss her back.

The make-out session commenced. Jessica's hands roamed about Edward's back, occasionally making their way down to his butt and groping his butt cheeks. Edward's hands did the same and managed a grope or two of his own on Jessica's rump and her breasts. They never took things any further beyond the kissing and groping, however. Edward even realized that despite all that he was doing with Jessica at the moment, he wasn't the least bit turned on, as evidenced by his still limp cock. He was just going through the motions.

Edward knew that he wasn't that sexually experienced, yet; however, he thought that getting to second-base with a girl like Jessica would've at least caused an erection. He knew that he had gotten erections before because of girls on far less. He pushed the thoughts aside and just continued on, occasionally glancing up at the conveniently hung wall clock to check the time.

He was starting to grow weary, wondering how much longer he needed to continue to play along, when a tall, strawberry-blonde with glasses, whom he hadn't noticed in school before, was startled by the sight of them. She gasped out loud, dropping the book in her hand, then quickly collected herself and hastily put the book back on a nearby shelf, before quickly walking away in a huff. Edward was grateful for the interruption. He also was greatly intrigued by the girl, staring after her as she walked away, which Jessica didn't fail to notice.

Jessica understandably wore an indignant expression on her face, which Edward ignored. He glanced at the clock again, then grabbed his and Jessica's things in one hand, and one of hers in another and proceeded to drag her back into the more common areas of the library.

Jessica huffed, "What are you doing?"

"We've got just enough time to start doing some actual studying and give some proof to the librarian, so we can get credit for today. Besides, we can't continue on, and especially not there. We don't know if that girl told on us. You don't want to get in trouble, do you? It's best if we just cool it now. We need to get back into the throngs of other students before anyone becomes suspicious."

"Oh, okay," Jessica expressed, defeated.

"Tell you what. We could probably play footsies under the table," Edward answered with a wink, causing Jessica to smile.

* * *

**End A/N:** Was it as painful for all of you to read about Jessica and Edward, like it was for my beta, as it was as painful for me to write? Unfortunately, necessary evil. Next up, this Freshman dance.

And, for those that have previously read the O/S that is a part of this story, NO, this is not yet that epic dance mentioned there—we're still a bit a ways from that, but we will get there! Just thought I'd clarify this.

See you all at next update after the New Year!


	6. Chapter 4 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Helloooo... Helloooo...Helloooo! [echo] Is anyone still here? I know it has taken me forever to have updated this story! I never meant to neglect this WIP of mine, in favor of any other. Its just my writing process with this one is strange, even for me. I have chapters written, I really do. Except these chapters are not necessarily in any particular order. I write off in tangents and then have to back-track to connect two points together to keep with the flow. I don't know why that is, it just is that way for me with this one. I don't quite understand why this one is more difficult for me to write over any other of my stories. Anyways, I can't make any real excuses for my tardiness in updating. I can only try to do better.

In order to make up for not updating for a long time, I've got the two parts of Chapter 4 here for those of you who haven't given up reading this. I appreciate your patience with me and I especially appreciate your continued reading support. I'll shut up now, so you can all get to reading.

Holy Moly! Realized that I almost forgot to thank my beta, the lovely and brilliant Cheermom! This update would not be possible without her-she helps me make sure I put all my apostrophes and commas in all the right places. (Redo-sorry my fic wifey, didn't mean to have left you off in the first place)

A little refresher: We've met Edward and Bella, freshmen high school students who are only the best of friends. Edward is dating Jessica. Bella has become involved with the Tri-County Sing Off, making her a very busy gal. We can see that Edward was comfortable having regular contact with Bella, but all that has changed lately, making him not so happy. We're now at the dance.

**THIS STORY WOULD LIKE TO CATCH UP WITH THE OTHER ONE**

**AS FAR AS REVIEWS**

**HELP IT BY WRITING ONE**

(even if it's just to chastise me about not having updated—tee hee)

* * *

**Chapter 4-The Dance That Changes The Tides Pt. 1**

Bella took one last check of herself in the full-length mirror on the inside of her closet door. While she liked the outfit that Alice helped her put together, she was still unsure about wearing it to the dance. It wasn't her usual style; however, since she was performing, it was an ensemble suitable for her performance, but it was also both comfortable and casual enough for her to wear throughout the dance, so that a change of outfits wasn't warranted, as long as she didn't sweat too much prior to her performance. She was lucky that her set was early on in the evening and she was certain that Alice would take great care to not allow her to ruin the ensemble before then.

After taking a deep breath, she walked out of her tiny walk-in closet back into her room where Edward had been patiently waiting. He was leaning up against the desk on the opposite side of the room looking dashing in dark jeans, a green button down that brought out the jade of his eyes, black Doc Marten boots, and a black leather jacket. His hair was in its usual controlled disarray, which was his signature coif, and Bella knew the girls absolutely went crazy for it.

Bella was glad that Edward decided to take her up on her offer and hang out with her before they went to the dance; separately, of course. It took some doing, but Edward managed to have the car service that Jessica's mom arranged to take her and Edward to the dance, pick him up at her house instead of his, much to Jessica's chagrin. However, Jessica couldn't really do anything about it, since Edward threatened not to go to the dance at all if Jessica made a bigger fuss.

Ever since the assembly and their talk, Bella had made an effort to make some time for her and Edward's friendship, even if it was just stealing little moments like these. She was busier than ever preparing for the Sing-Off, with both the Principal and the two Mr. Blacks demanding more of her time, more so now that the word had already gotten out about her being the entrant for the school. But she also knew that she needed her friends and their support more than ever, especially Edward, so she made it a point to make whatever time she could to squeeze them into her full schedule.

"How do I look?" Bella asked, smoothing her skirt in the process.

"Hmm..." Edward began, placing his thumb and forefinger on his chin, contemplating Bella's look. "Twirl around for me."

"Um, okay," Bella said hesitantly, but spun around so that Edward could take a good look at all sides of her outfit. Edward was taking his time giving his opinion and that bothered Bella. "Well?" She asked impatiently.

"What can I say Bella? You look beautiful as always. You know that. You're really going to wow everyone with your performance tonight, if only with what you're wearing alone. I'm sure that Yorkie and the rest of the Bella Fan Club will be completely enthralled by you, even more so tonight, and I'm sure you'll gain more than a few new admirers. My brothers and I will probably have to makes sure those douches behave themselves tonight and keep them from staring at you like you're a piece a meat."

"Awww, stop it!" Bella whined, as she blushed in embarrassment from Edward's compliment. She then picked up the pillow off her rocking chair, the nearest portable object she could find, and threw it at him. He, of course, caught it. She then made a face at him for which he just chuckled in response. "I don't have a fan club and I'm sure no one, especially any other guys will pay any mind to me or my singing."

"I beg to differ. Geez, Bella, you never give yourself any credit. You have always been a steady topic in the boys locker room, and even more so now after you sang at the assembly. There are more guys now that see you in a completely new light. Don't tell me you're completely oblivious to Yorkie and the rest of those dudes following you around like puppy dogs, hanging on your every word, and generally acting like your God's gift to teenage boy's hormones?

Bella blushed out of embarrassment again then picked up the rocking chair's seat cushion and threw that at him. It hit him just below his knees, since her aim was poor, before landing at his feet. "You're exaggerating," she said with a huff.

"No, I'm not. You may choose not to notice, but I think everyone in school knows those guys are crushing on you hard. Like I said, a Bella fan club. Yorkie is President. Did you not see the article he wrote in the school paper totally singing your praises?"

"That article was so embarrassing," Bella said honestly. "I can't believe he wrote all those things about me. I mean, they were nice, but his opinion is obviously biased, and he gave me unwarranted attention."

"Yeah, Yorkie wrote a total fluff piece on you, but I have to admit that he did make some good points in that article. I just think he didn't need to give you a big head, y'know," then Edward broke out into a raucous chuckle. "Do you know that Yorkie is still distraught that you didn't accept his invitation to go with him to this dance? He was still raging about it yesterday. He had the nerve to ask me why I didn't help him to go out with you. I plainly told him that he was a douche and I couldn't advocate you even bothering with the likes of him."

Bella's eyes grew wide then narrowed at her best friend. She grabbed the next nearest and lightest object she could, a paperback she had been reading by the window, and threw it at Edward, missing wide above his head. "You told him about the conversation we had about him?" She asked, more than a little annoyed now at the road her talk with Edward had gone down.

"Hey, watch it now," Edward warned. "Don't mess up the outfit. Jessica will be pissed. And no, I didn't tell him about the conversation we had. I just told him the truth of how I felt," he proclaimed, picking up the book and placing it neatly on the desk, then picking up the discarded rocking chair pillow and cushion and throwing back onto their rightful home on the chair. Both landed perfectly, proving once again that Edward had a precision arm. No wonder the football coach was courting him to play just like his brothers.

Edward continued, "If it's any consolation to you, Yorkie is still gonna go, just so he can watch you sing and make goo-goo eyes at you all night." Bella rolled her eyes at him, while he chuckled some more.

"Outfit...outfit...yeah, yeah...since when did you really care if Jessica got pissed or not?" Bella asked, incredulous of Edward's statement. She began walking around the room, starting to gather her things for her purse and tidy things up before she would have to leave for the dance.

Edward just watched her knowing that this was Bella's way of burning off some of her nervous energy. She had gone into the closet and retrieved another set of purses, holding them up before Edward, silently asking his opinion if she should change purses to one of those she held. He just chuckled softly to himself and nodded "no", pointing to the one on the bed that she was just filling up mere seconds ago. Bella returned her purses back in the closet, then proceeded to sit back on her bed, surveying the contents of her purse, making sure she had everything she would need, over and over again.

Edward finally continued their conversation, "I don't really. But, if she's pissed at me before the dance, she's going to be bad company, and that will irritate me, then I won't have a good time. And I want to have a good time tonight," he explained.

"Oh I see. Hey, Edward...may I ask you something? And be honest with me, okay?"

"Sure, anything. And you know I always am," Edward said matter-of-factly.

"From one best friend to another, tell me...how are things really going with you and Jessica? You don't seem as into her anymore as you once were before. It's like her novelty wore off or something, and it's been only a few weeks. Remember, this dance was like your official coming out as a couple."

Edward's eyes widened, then he groaned before replying, "Ughhh...you've been talking to Emmett and Jasper, haven't you?"

"No. Seriously, Edward. When would I have had the time? You know very well that you and everyone else of my friends have pretty much gone by the wayside ever since I started working on this Sing-Off for the school. I'm basing my concern on my own personal observations," Bella proclaimed truthfully.

"You've been so busy, hardly finding the time to even talk or spend time with me, yet you've paid close attention to my personal life?" Edward asked, now the one who was annoyed.

"No. It's not like that. Like I said, I'm going off of what I've seen, and since I've been missing in action, as you like to remind me, I was just kind of startled at the difference of how you regard her now. Even as we talk about her right this minute, there's no warmth coming from you. It's a big change from the guy, whom only about two and a half weeks ago, was so excited to tell me that Jessica agreed to date you. Plus, you're not the only one that hears things in the locker room. I can tell by your demeanor right now that I'm not wrong."

"Ughhh...leave it to you to bring up the heavy at a time like this," Edward retorted. "I think you're just trying to keep your focus away from your nervousness about tonight."

"Am I? Why so defensive all of a sudden? Or is it you just not wanting to talk about it?"

Just then Charlie called up from the bottom of the stairs, "Edward, your ride is here. Get a move on, boy, you don't want to be late to pick up your date. That wouldn't be a polite thing to do."

"I'll be right down, sir," Edward called back, grateful for the reprieve about talking with Bella about the change of heart he'd had about Jessica.

Bella shuffled off the bed and made her way towards Edward. She gave him their usual parting hug and high-five and told him that they would talk later, maybe even at the dance.

Before turning to go, Edward murmured, "I wish I was riding with you and the rest of the gang in the limo Rosalie got, instead of this stupid car service that Jessica's parents arranged for us."

Bella chuckled a little, "That's what you get for spacing out this past week. Serves you right to have her a pull a fast one on you," then Bella looked contemplative for a moment before continuing, "Honestly though Edward, I think she did it on purpose and planned it all along. I don't believe she wants in on our little circle. She must've figured that we'd all be riding together, and I'm sure that was the last thing she wanted to do."

Edward groaned, "Oh, please let's not get started again on Jessica. Talking about her like this is seriously starting to be a buzz kill. I might just end up the one being a party-pooper tonight, and like I said, I want to have a good time tonight, as much as it pains me, even if its in Jessica and her ditzy friends company tonight."

"Edward, have you decided to go with my daughter instead to this dance? Is that why you're keeping the increasingly impatient looking driver waiting here? Let me know so I can tell the poor man to leave," Charlie called up again.

"I'm heading down now, Mr. Swan," Edward called back.

Turning back to Bella, Edward muttered, "I better go before your dad gets more upset with me. I'll meet up with you and the rest of the gang at the gym. Tell them all I said hi, okay?" Bella nodded and both of them proceeded out of the room and on down the stairs, where Charlie was waiting at the bottom.

"It took you long enough, boy," Charlie directed to Edward.

"Uh, sorry sir. Bella here is pretty chatty. She's just nervous about her singing tonight," Edward responded. Bella just shook her head and rolled her eyes at her best friend again.

Charlie looked to Bella then, who was lingering at the foot of the stairs. He did a double-take, appreciating for the first time how grown up his daughter looked.

"Wow, Bells, you look...you look," Charlie stammered.

"Perfect," Edward interjected.

Bella blushed and looked down at her feet shyly. Charlie's eyes widened at Edward's statement, then he looked suspiciously back and forth between Edward and Bella. Edward suddenly felt very uncomfortable under Mr. Swan's scrutiny and decided he needed to get going as hurriedly as he could.

"Um, I should go. Wouldn't want to be late, and I kept that driver waiting long enough," Edward uttered quickly, shuffling his way to the door. He paused a moment before heading outside, "Bye again, Bella. I'll see you and the others later," he then waved, nodded at Charlie, and was out the door and ushered himself into the awaiting car in a matter of seconds.

Bella made her way to the window by the front door and looked at the retreating car with Edward inside. She couldn't help but feel saddened that he wasn't able to join her and the rest of their friends in the group limo that was going to take all of them to the dance. The ride over to the school, no matter how short, should promise to be one fun ride. Then Bella couldn't help but feel a bit saddened for herself as she thought about being the proverbial fifth wheel in the group. Although they were all going as friends together, she knew that the others in the group would be coupled up in no time. Edward's brothers, Emmett and Jasper, seemed to have developed a "thing" with Rosalie and Alice, and Angela and Ben had been crushing on one another forever. Maybe tonight was going to be the night when they all finally became official couples.

Maybe Bella was generally oblivious, as Edward pointed out to her, but she certainly could be observant when she wanted to be. She may not have been around lately, however, it didn't fail her notice the way Edward's brothers have gotten increasingly closer to her best friends, or how Angela and Ben seemed to be spending more and more time alone together. She noticed that Emmett and Rosalie seemed to conveniently disappear at the same time quite often as of late, or how Jasper's attention was constantly monopolized by Alice, which he didn't seem to mind.

Bella just hoped that they at least try not to forget about her, considering she was the only one without a pair for the evening. While she was very happy for her friends and their newfound couplings, including Edward, even though she didn't think too highly of Jessica, she couldn't help but feel a little envious that she didn't have someone to call her boyfriend.

Edward was right in that there was no shortage of guys from school that were interested in her. The problem was that she just wasn't interested in any of them that way; however, it was times like these that made her want to rethink that decision and possibly give one of those guys a chance; save for Yorkie, though, whom she found his almost unhealthy obsession with her borderline creepy, however, she knew the boy was harmless.

An inner voice inside of her always told her not to settle, though, whenever she started feeling lonely like this. Bella knew that she was a romantic at heart and she was waiting for that one boy that would sweep her off her feet. None of the guys that currently had crushes on her fit the bill, even though they all seemed nice enough, or she would've already agreed to go out with them. She couldn't let the pressure of having all her friends being parts of couples affect her.

Charlie effectively brought her out of her inner musings, "Uh, Bella...," he began. He had stood there silently observing Bella looking out the window after Edward and becoming lost in thought.

"Yeah, dad," Bella turned her attention to her father.

"Um, do I need to worry about you and Edward?"

"Huh?" Bella asked confused. "What do you mean, dad?"

"I'm, uh, thinking that maybe I shouldn't allow you and Edward to be alone up in your room anymore and that maybe I should inform Carlisle and Esme to impose a similar rule when you're over at their house, or I should rethink letting you even go there at all now."

"But why?" Bella asked, more puzzled than ever.

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. He swallowed thickly the lump in his throat before continuing, "Can I ask one thing first before we go on? And please be honest with me."

"Um, okay."

"You weren't still changing into your dance outfit when I sent Edward up to your room just now, were you?" Charlie asked hesitantly, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

"Yes, but I was inside my closet," Bella answered truthfully.

"And Edward remained inside your room and kept his distance?"

"Yes, dad. I only came out when I was fully dressed and then asked his opinion on how I looked. He was a perfect gentleman, not that he wouldn't ever be. Why are you suddenly so suspicious? What's this about?"

"Well, Bells, it's about you and Edward not being little kids anymore, that's what. You've both grown into teenagers now, and it just occurred to me tonight that it entails all sorts of teenage hormones. I think I might've become too complacent in letting you two carry on like you do as if you're both still five. It's plain to see now that you're both not five anymore and gone are the days of your little kids' games. I'm looking out for you like a father would. Uh, is there something I need to know about between you and Edward?"

Bella rolled her eyes at her father. She knew that he meant well, but he was starting to become overprotective about Edward for nothing.

"Dad, haven't we had this conversation before? I already told you that Edward and I are just friends. Granted we are best friends, but that still means that there is nothing remotely romantic going on between us. We see one another more like siblings and act as such. Everything between us has always been completely innocent. Edward practically considers me like one of his brothers. There's really no need for you to be concerned," she defended vehemently.

"I'm not so sure now, Bells. Are you sure that Edward's feelings hadn't changed? If I understand correctly, you've been pretty busy of late. Maybe you just haven't noticed...," Charlie trailed off as he saw the irritated expression on his daughter's face.

"Dad," Bella whined. "You of all people should know that Edward and I aren't like that. No, of course, the way he sees me hasn't changed. Why else would he be going to the dance with his girlfriend? Why else does he spend more time with his girlfriend these days? Geez, Dad, we've been over this. What's gotten into you tonight?"

"All right, don't get yourself all worked up. I know we've been over this. It's just that I noticed something different with Edward tonight. Maybe it's really nothing and I'm just being silly, but let me tell you, as a man, I can tell when another man is over a girl, and clearly, Edward, doesn't seem like he is enjoying having this girlfriend of his any longer."

"Yeah, actually, I think you're right on that, Dad. I've noticed that his feelings for Jessica, that's his girlfriend by the way, seem to have changed. We were actually trying to talk about it just before he had to leave. But, yeah, he doesn't seem to be enamored with her very much anymore. The rumor around school is that they're very much on the outs, even though they've only just barely begun. But, don't be thinking it's on account of me, cause it's definitely not. It isn't like he's decided to crush on me."

"Are you sure about that?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I know that he hasn't suddenly become interested. I think I would know if things are different between us. To be honest, I think his change of heart was inevitable anyways. You see, neither I, nor his brothers, or even the rest of our group of friends ever thought he was very compatible with Jessica. We don't run within the same circles and aren't even on the same wavelength, if you ask me. We were rather surprised that he ended up choosing to go out with her in the first place. We supported him, but never really approved, y'know. We were all just waiting for him to come to his senses with her, and now I think he has. I'm sure he won't be all torn up if they break up."

"I see," Charlie noted.

"At least it wasn't Lauren," Bella muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Charlie inquired.

" Oh, nothing," Bella mumbled.

Bella's father didn't necessarily believe his daughter's assessment of Edward's situation. He really hadn't said anything before, but he'd really seen a change in how Edward regarded Bella. It was pretty evident tonight as well. However, as much as he wanted to further discuss things with Bella, the limo, packed with her friends that was to take her to the dance, came. They would have to revisit this conversation at another time.

Bella waved goodbye to her dad, choosing to meet Alice, who had gotten out of the limo and was walking towards her front door, half-way down her driveway instead of getting herself picked up at her front door, and sparing Alice from having to make polite chit-chat with her dad. Charlie called out from the front porch to Bella and reminded her of her curfew, offered her some last-minute encouraging words about her performance, and wished her luck and to have a good time before waving to Alice and then disappearing back into the house. As soon as Charlie was gone, Bella and Alice began talking amongst themselves as they made their way towards the limo giggling while complimenting one another at how good each other looked in their respective outfits.

Alice got into the limo first, taking her place beside Jasper, and when Bella stepped inside, she had to chuckle to herself. Rosalie was practically sitting on Emmett's lap with how close they were next to one another, both having impossibly huge grins on their faces. Something told Bella that Emmett's signature dimples would be on display all night.

Bella then smiled sweetly at Ben and Angela who were sitting directly across from her. Ben had his arm around Angela's shoulders and Angela had a hand on his thigh. Their outfits were even coordinated. It seems that they didn't need the help at all to get together and finally gave in to their feelings for one another. It was obvious that they were now going as each other's date.

Bella inwardly laughed again. She and Edward had talked extensively before about setting his brothers up with Rosalie and Alice and helping to get Ben and Angela over their respective shyness, so that they can finally stop avoiding their indubitable feelings and start dating; however, now it would seem that they're no longer needed to play matchmakers. Everything just fell into place with their friends. She couldn't wait to tell Edward about the turn of events.

The ride over to the dance was filled with ample and interesting chatter amongst the friends. Bella was filled in on all the things she missed while she had been off having her singing practices and preparing for the competition, including all the latest school gossip, a topic Alice was very fond of.

The topic of conversation even moved onto Edward and his woes with Jessica; however, Bella bowed out of betting how long after the dance it would take before Edward would dump Jessica finally.

The group also made a pact to stick together and have lots of fun tonight, and promised that they would make sure that Bella didn't feel left out, being that she was without a date. Bella blushed furiously when she promised a dance to each of the guys, knowing that they were only asking to be nice. Once the talking lulled, they began to sing loudly together to the music that was playing inside, albeit sorely out of tune on purpose, causing them to break out in raucous laughter, and that was how they arrived at the dance. They were all overcome with laughter as they each exited the limo.

Edward had already arrived and was presently gathered outside of the gym with Jessica and her clique of friends, trying desperately to look interested in the conversation going on around him. Thankfully, there were other guys with him, and he wasn't left alone with a bunch of high-pitch, giggling girls; however, he only knew these guys casually, seeing them around school, but they were just acquaintances. These guys didn't seem much into talking to him particularly, apart from including him in polite conversation, so Edward didn't feel the need to make more of an effort at being social; he stayed mostly quiet.

He found the conversation within this group to be quite mundane, superficial, and highly shallow. It was nothing at all like the discussions he'd have with his brothers, Bella, or even with the rest of their friends. Edward chalked this up to the fact that the combined intelligence of this group he was currently with wasn't even one-tenth of the intelligence level of the members of his clique. Even Emmett, who was undoubtedly the least smartest out of everyone in his group of friends, seemed to have a higher IQ than this bunch of people.

It wasn't as if his clique was waxing philosophical, talking about the meaning of life, or anything particularly deep like that, but Edward felt that their conversations always seemed to have more substance than anything that Jessica and her friends were discussing. In this case, Edward felt that the old saying, "birds of a feather always stick together", really rang true.

At the moment the group was discussing how they thought the dance decor was tacky and outdated, and they had no qualms about belittling the people on the dance committee about it. Edward couldn't help but feel more than annoyed, since they were basically making fun of very hard-working, decent people, whom Edward knew, and while these people weren't exactly his close friends, he knew them better than these people. He was also irritated because they were making fun of Bella by extension, who he knew had been working with the dance committee.

He felt that if Jessica and her friends cared so much, then they should've joined the committee and helped so as to improve upon their taste in "tacky" decor, or at least the group should've donated funds to extend the committee's budget so that they could've been able to afford better decorations. Of course, Edward couldn't expect this group to think like that, and instead of stating his honest opinion on the matter, he held his tongue, so he didn't have to incur the wrath of Jessica this evening. He had found out a little too late that Jessica didn't enjoy being disagreed with on matters of fashion and supposed good taste.

Edward just rolled his eyes at the group, a habit he realized he had picked up from Bella, the group was too oblivious to notice, and just held his mouth in a fake, tight, smile as a way of being polite. Inwardly, he was cringing and barely holding onto his annoyance, wishing that the group would end the conversation already and head inside, so that they can just focus on enjoying the dance. He was more than ready to just dance out his frustrations with having to be stuck with Jessica and her friends this evening. He realized then that he should give more consideration into who the girl he dates is friends with, because that probably would greatly impact his decisions. If there was one thing that Edward was grateful for, it was that Lauren didn't seem to be a part of this group tonight, or at least, she had yet to arrive to the dance and join them.

Edward heard the boisterous laugh-filled arrival of his clique right away, recognizing the various sounds of their voices ringing through the parking lot, as they all stood by the limo they arrived in trying to compose themselves. He looked longingly over to where they were gathered and wished he was a part of their group. Surely, he was going to spend some time with them, but he'd much rather be hanging out with them instead of the bunch of dumbfucks he was with now and would be stuck with for most of the night.

Bella's eyes locked with Edward's and for a time they just stood staring at one another, seemingly communicating silently. They had been friends for such a long time already that they could read each other without ever needing words. It was as if they had a secret language all their own.

Bella could already see that Edward was quite uncomfortable with the group he was forced to interact with on account of Jessica. His hair was wildly sticking up more than usual since she'd last seen him at her house, a clear indication he had been running his fingers through it aggressively, a sign that he was not at all a happy camper. Edward was obviously not starting out the evening with the good time he had wanted. Bella couldn't help but admire the fact that Edward was at least making an effort to interact with Jessica's friends, as uncomfortable as he may be; it was more than Jessica ever tried with them.

She waved and offered him a sympathetic smile, which Edward, in turn, acknowledged and appreciated. She wished she could do more to save him and possibly help salvage his good time, but she knew it wasn't her place. She didn't want to make Jessica cross with her. The last thing that Bella needed was to court more trouble; she'd already had enough of that with James.

After a while, both groups wrapped up their discussions and headed inside to begin their night. Bella went one way with her friends and Edward went the other way with Jessica and her group. Edward stared longingly after Bella, his brothers, and his clique. He wondered if he hadn't made all the wrong decisions for tonight.

As Bella entered the gym, she stared around in wonderment of its transformation. It wasn't anything really fancy, but she thought the dance committee did a fine job with what they had to work with, which wasn't much to begin with.

She looked at the amount of students in attendance, more than she normally would've expected, and her stomach started to be twisted up in knots. She didn't have time, however, to dwell on her sudden nervousness because she was immediately faced with well-wishers for her performance that evening and then several invitations to dance, the first of which and most enthusiastically came from Eric Yorkie. Alice, of course, scoffed at Bella's eager admirers, declining the invitations for her, stating simply that Bella couldn't possibly be expected to dance, sweat, strain her voice, and ruin her outfit prior to her performance that evening.

"How dare you boys even think to ask Bella this early?" Bella heard Alice say. Bella just smiled sweetly at the admirers but was in agreement, and inwardly chuckled as Alice politely chastised the boys, who all sheepishly walked away. She gave Alice a nod of thanks, since she would've been too shy to have done what Alice did. Bella had always been less assertive when it came to those that crushed on her. Alice returned her thanks with a wide smile then dragged Bella off to the refreshment table to make sure she was well-hydrated before taking the stage.

Edward, upon entering the gym, immediately tried to haul Jessica to the dance floor, eager to start having a good time and dance off his frustrations. Jessica had other ideas. She pulled him in the opposite direction, over to where her friends had gathered. Edward rolled his eyes and immediately dropped Jessica's hand as they reached the group. He turned and started to walk away causing Jessica to become livid.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Jessica screamed, and Edward couldn't figure out whether Jessica screaming was due to all the noise or because she was upset with him. If she was upset, he couldn't imagine why she would be already. They had just gotten there after all.

"Calm down, Jessie," Misty interjected. "Sheesh, Edward's probably just going to get us some punch or something. Right Edward?" Misty was obviously trying to diffuse a situation.

"Actually, no. I was gonna go say hi to my friends which I hadn't gotten to do yet. I see them over there. I'll also probably go find a dance partner since Jessica didn't want to dance," Edward answered dryly. Jessica's eyes grew wide and she started to pout, but Edward ignored her antics and continued, "We may be a couple, but I don't see any reason to be chained to one another the whole evening."

"You can't dance with anyone else," Jessica stammered.

"And why not? Who says? Is there some rule that states that I can't dance with other girls if they're friends? " Edward questioned.

"It's dating eti...etif..., it's dating curtsy," Jessica said through clenched teeth.

Edward stifled the urge to laugh out loud and boisterously. "I believe the word you were trying to pronounce was etiquette. E-ti-ket," he drew out the word slowly. "And it's courtesy, not curtsy, but I'm sure you were just a bit flustered, so you couldn't say it quite right."

"I said courtesy, Edward. Yeah, that's what I meant. It's just my accent or the noise that made you not hear it right," Jessica defended.

"Whatever," Edward retorted back. "Seriously, Jessica, how did you make it this far in school?"

"Look, Edward, I don't claim to be an Einstein..."

"That's for sure," Edward mumbled, mostly to himself, but Jessica still heard, choosing to ignore addressing his remark.

"Like I said, I may not be really smart, but I do okay. I can pass my classes. I just have a problem with vocabulary and big words."

".God. You said and used vocabulary correctly. Good for you," Edward mocked.

"Whatever. Anyways, you don't really expect to dance with other girls tonight. I won't have it," Jessica whined like a five year old.

"Really, Jessica, it's just dancing with friends. It doesn't really have to mean anything. Besides, this is a dance and I came here to dance. I happen to like to dance, and since you don't want to get on the floor with me, then I have no choice but to find a willing dance partner. I'm sure I wouldn't have any trouble," Edward said, putting emphasis on his last statement.

Misty, having stood there watching the conversation being played out, wanted to be the peacemaker, "Jessie, I'm sure Edward won't be as rude as to dance with anyone other than the likes of Bella, Alice, Rosalie, or any of his other friends. They're his clique, so it's going to be all friendly. Nothing for you to worry about. No other girl would risk dancing with him anyways, or risk being bitch-faced by you. Everyone in school knows you two are together, so no problems. We're here to have fun."

"Listen to her, she's got a point there," Edward stated.

"You know, Jessie, you should just go ahead and dance with him, if you don't want him dancing with anyone else," Misty advised.

"Don't be crazy, Misty. No one dances this early on into a dance. It isn't cool."

Edward's eyes went to the dance floor and trained on a fair amount of people already dancing, including Jasper with Alice and Emmett with Rosalie. He caught sight of Bella currently talking to a couple of her fan club members with Angela and Ben by her side.

"Uh, Jessica, I beg to differ. There are already a lot of kids out on the floor. I want to be out there too. I didn't come to this dance to stand around and try to act all cool," Edward proclaimed, not hiding his irritation at all. "Now, if you would excuse me, this song is calling to me," and Edward turned on his heel to walk away again.

"If you think you're going to get to dance with Bella, I think her dance card is full," Jessica pointed out.

Edward looked over to Bella across the gym again and found quite a few more guys in her presence. For a moment, he felt a pang of disappointment. He didn't quite understand the feeling, but he didn't dwell on it. The feeling was quickly replaced with one of concern as he could see that Bella was visibly uncomfortable with the attention. Edward knew that despite keeping up social appearances and the ability to perform, underneath it all, Bella was still a very shy girl. He had made it no secret that he disliked all of Bella's so-called fan club members. They fawned over Bella way too much and acted more like lovesick puppies then any legitimate boyfriend material. He knew that none of them could ever be good enough for Bella. He suddenly felt possessive of his best friend and the need to rescue Bella from the throngs of her admirers.

* * *

**END A/N:** Since I didn't want to babble too much at the beginning, I'll mention it here. I've got a banner, or should I say banners, for this story—SQUEE! The lovely and wonderfully talented, sunray16, has been working on them for me, but they're not quite ready yet. I'll put the link up where they can be viewed on my profile just as soon as they're finalized. I've seen the pre-final products and they're so beautiful!

Oh, and you may want to ask, why 3? Well, she had made them for me to choose, but I couldn't, so she's allowing me to keep all of them, tweaking them just a bit. They all represent the story well in their own little way.

So, definitely a big THANK YOU goes out to sunray16 for providing her time and talent to finally give this story banners!


	7. Chapter 4 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Not going to say much, just that here's part 2—Enjoy!

And, thank you again to the wonderfully talented, sunray16, for giving us a visual for our story! Find the banners on my profile when I update it, cause I still need to figure that all out again and actually how all of you can view the banners.

**LASTLY, TAKE THE TIME OUT TO REVIEW AND **

**MAKE MY DAY**

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**Chapter 4-The Dance That Changes The Tides Pt. 2**

Before Edward could make his way over to Bella, he spotted Mr. Billy Black pacing what seemed like a hole in the gym floor at a particularly deserted side of the gym, looking very distressed. He kept wringing his hands and he had an angry, almost wolf-like scowl on his face. His son, Mr. Jacob Black, seemed like he was trying to calm his father down, but to no avail. The elder Mr. Black seemed quite frustrated and seemed to have been tugging at his long locks, causing it to hang in such disarray. The younger Mr. Black seemed to have been running his own fingers through his own hair, a habit he clearly picked up from his father, judging from the way his shorter locks were starting to resemble more mad scientist rather than mild-mannered music teacher. The scene proved very curious to Edward and he couldn't help but feel compelled to go over to them and ask them what was wrong. He had the strangest feeling inside that what was unfolding before him had something to do with Bella. At the very least, Edward needed to be closer to the two Mr. Blacks so that he could eavesdrop.

Taking a glance at Bella's direction once more, Edward was relieved to find that Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were all by her side again, and the crowd of lovesick puppies were dissipating. If anything, the mere site of Emmett with his arm around Bella, was intimidating. He was glad that his brothers and her best girlfriends were there for Bella when he couldn't be.

He turned around to find Jessica pouting and heatedly whispering with Misty, while the rest of Jessica's group looked upon him with disdain. He couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. It didn't particularly matter to him if Jessica's friends liked him, and if they didn't want to hang out with him, then all the better for him. At this point, he'd much rather be hanging out with his brothers and their friends. He actually didn't care much for Jessica's clique, with the exception of Misty, but he tolerated being around the group on occasion just for Jessica's sake. It occurred to him that it was more courtesy than Jessica had ever given to his own set of friends.

"Jessica, if you'd excuse me, I spotted Mr. Black over there and there's something I needed to talk to him about."

"What? You're going to talk to a teacher?" Jessica asked incredulously.

"Yeah, well it's something important."

"You're going to talk to him about school stuff here at the dance? Are you that much of a nerd or what?"

"Yeah, so? Like I said it's important. I might not get another chance. There's no rule that says we can't talk to our teachers outside of school. Mr. Black has always had an open-door policy, meaning he doesn't mind if students talk to him even if we're not in school. So, I'm taking the opportunity now. Nothing wrong with it. It seems like I won't be dancing anytime soon, anyways. And Jessica, if I were such a nerd, you never would have agreed to go out with me," Edward uttered his last sentence coldly. He didn't enjoy being called names, especially not from Jessica, whose intelligence left much to be desired.

"Oh...okay, whatever. So you're not going to ask Bella to dance now? Or any other girl for that matter, at least?" Jessica questioned.

"Hey, that's a good thing. Right, Jessie?" Misty interjected. "Maybe after he gets back from talking to Mr. Black, you'd be ready to dance with him. Some slow songs should be playing by then, I'm sure. Doesn't that sound good, Edward?"

"Um, yeah...cool...okay," Edward muttered, distracted. He was hardly paying any attention to Misty and Jessica. He was still engrossed with what the two Mr. Black's were possibly discussing. He needed to get over to where they were now or they may wrap things up and his curiosity would never be satisfied. He had to know if their conversation related to Bella at all.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever," Jessica stated in a whiny voice, and what Edward could only describe as a damn good imitation of a _Valley Girl_.

Jessica then turned her attention back to Misty and together they rejoined their clique. Edward paid them no more mind.

He stalked over to where the two Mr. Blacks were still deep in conversation. Engrossed as they were in their discussion, they didn't notice Edward approaching. After getting close enough to see the very intense looks upon their faces, Edward became intimidated quickly and decided it would probably be better to stay out of sight and just listen for a while to their conversation. What they were discussing may have nothing to do with Bella after all, considering the seriousness in both their faces. He couldn't imagine that if they were conversing about Bella or the singing competition that they would be quite this intense about it. Edward inferred that their talking like this could just be about a personal family matter; however, he still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that their conversation somehow concerned Bella.

Edward stayed hidden in the shadows and used the folded up bleachers nearby as more cover. He was close enough to fully hear what the two Mr. Blacks were saying and knew that if he was discovered eavesdropping, he'd probably be in huge trouble, but he just needed to satisfy his curiosity. He figured that as soon as he can decipher that their somewhat heated conversation had nothing to do with Bella whatsoever, then he can slip away un-noticed, and no one would be the wiser.

"Like I told you a thousand times already, Dad, it doesn't have to mean anything. Jesus, you're frustrating as hell," Jacob spouted.

"Hah, you're calling your old man frustrating? You are the most stubborn child I'd ever raised," Billy retorted back.

"Let's not make this about me. Why are you so nervous about this? You should just relax and make the most of the evening. It may not be your idea of a good time, but its part of our obligation. Later on, like I said, we're going to go out for beers with some others from the staff, and that should make things better."

"You were still too young, son. I have to remember that. You don't quite understand and that's why you're making light of a potentially serious situation."

"What I can't understand, Dad, is why you insist on dwelling on the past? We've been over and over this. Frankly, I'm over it."

"Jacob, you know very well, that as Quileute men, our past should always be important to us, because our tradition says it helps guide our future."

"Yeah, Dad, you've given me this lecture already. We're going around in circles. I still don't know what you expect me to do."

"I expect you to listen to me," Billy said hotly.

"Like I keep telling you, its too late now," Jacob responded back just as hotly.

Edward didn't know exactly what the two Mr. Blacks were cryptically discussing, but he was almost convinced the discussion had nothing to do with Bella. It seemed a more personal conversation, and he felt kind of bad for listening in. He wondered why they were talking about personal matters now at the dance, but he figured that it might've been carried over from their home. Mr. Billy Black seemed like the type of person who couldn't just let things go, while Mr. Jacob Black seemed more of an easy-going type of guy; it was bound to cause conflict between the two on occasion. Edward was just about to walk away and carry on with his evening when he overheard words that piqued his curiosity even more.

"Why do you think they're here, Jacob?" Billy inquired.

"Who's to say? It's an open dance, anyone is welcomed as long as they pay the entrance fee and its not like the entrance will exactly hurt their allowances. Maybe the kids are just looking for a good time, since maybe they don't have any dance or other activity going on at their school," Jacob answered.

"You can't tell me you find no coincidence that so many kids from other schools are in attendance tonight," Billy retorted back.

"Jesus, Dad. Like I keep telling you, you're making a big deal about nothing. So, a couple of kids from the Res school and some surrounding schools are here tonight. It's a few, measly teens. It's not like those schools sent over a mob or anything. Besides, you have no real proof that they were even sent by their respective schools. More than likely they just came on their own."

"Their presence makes me nervous. Even if they came on their own, you don't really think they're just here because of this insignificant dance."

"And why not? It's not like these rival school kids hadn't come to our dances before, and I'm sure our kids go over to their school dances as well."

Billy let out a laugh before telling his son, "Since when? You and I have chaperoned more than our fair share of dances. You keep telling yourself that. Yeah, sure, a couple of the kids brought others on occasion, but nothing like this. You know as well as I that the schools around here keep mostly to themselves, and we only ever have these kinds of influxes during the football games. Last I checked, son, this ain't no football game."

"Aww, Dad," Jacob began, suddenly sounding like a whiny child instead of the grown man that he is. "Fine you have a point. Happy? We're still going around in circles, though. Like I've been saying, you're still worrying for nothing. So what if they're here?"

Just then Edward got startled from behind by Jasper, almost blowing his cover. Jasper had always been good at being quiet and sneaky. Emmett and Edward used to say he was a ninja when they were younger. When you least expect it, he'd just come up on you. Since Edward startled easily, he was Jasper's favorite target.

"What are you doing?" Jasper inquired. "You know it's wrong to be eavesdropping, especially on our teachers."

Edward pushed Jasper and he a little further away from the Blacks, then clasped a hand over Jasper's mouth and spoke in a hush tone, "Keep your voice down, I don't want them to notice us," for which Jasper nodded and Edward removed his hand.

"So mind telling me why you're eavesdropping and chancing getting in huge trouble?" Jasper inquired.

Edward then explained, whispering, "I saw the Blacks over here deep in discussion and I had the strangest feeling that it had something to do with Bella. I wanted to know if my hunch was right, so I'm listening."

"Well, were you?" Jasper questioned Edward again in a hushed tone.

"At first, I didn't think so, but now I think I am. They seem to be disagreeing about the unusual presence of rival school kids here at our dance."

"You know, the rest of us were just talking about that. There does seem to be a lot of outsiders here tonight. I mean, more than usual. Did you notice that too?"

"Well...no, not really. I mean I might've noticed a couple of kids I didn't recognize earlier when I walked in, but I haven't paid too close of an attention. I didn't figure anything of it. I'd been more preoccupied with Jessica and her group getting on my nerves."

Jasper laughed then, causing Edward to give him an eye roll, then check if the two Mr. Blacks noticed, which fortunately for he and Jasper, they hadn't. "That's what you get, bro. But, anyways, so what do the high number of outsiders have anything to do with Bella?" Jasper responded more quietly.

"I'm not quite sure yet, the Blacks have been pretty cryptic in their talk, but I can't shake the feeling that it relates to Bella. And, if it does, well, I want to know about it. She might need our help or something."

"Look at you getting all white-knight for Bella," Jasper teased.

"Oh, shut up! You need to be quiet now so I can continue to hear. I still don't have all my answers yet. You don't have to stay if you don't want to," Edward said rather irritatedly.

"Are you kidding me? Bella's my friend too and I care about her just as much as you do. She's been like a little sis to me ever since she was five. I want to help if she needs it and we should get the others involved too. Emmett would be pissed if he missed out. He sees Bella as like a little sister too."

"Fine. Let's not jump into any conclusions, yet. Listen," Edward told Jasper, nodding his head in the Blacks' direction. "They're just getting to the good part, I think."

The two brothers kept quiet then and strained to hear more of the two Mr. Blacks conversation. They were finally treated to the answer they were looking for.

"I don't want her to sing. She shouldn't. I don't want to give them a preview of her immense talent," Billy said authoritatively.

"And like I told you already, Dad, it's too late to back out now. She's put a lot of hours into practicing for her performance tonight. Shy as she is, I think she may actually be looking forward to it. We have to jump on that. She even made arrangements with the dance committee for goodness sakes, which shows just how dedicated she is to her craft. We practically had her sing until her voice was hoarse in preparation for tonight. Don't tell me that you want to throw all that work down the drain."

"It's not for naught, Jacob. We've been preparing her for the competition first and foremost and that's where all her work will pay off. Tonight is nothing. Just a minor blip on the radar. She's got plenty of other opportunities to hone her performance skills."

"Let me ask you this. Why does it matter if she sings tonight or not? So what? More than likely the other schools already know who she is, so you're not exactly going to be hiding her identity there. Eventually, they'll be seeing her perform anyways. The competition is still about three months away. Between now and then, there will be other dances and, like you said, other opportunities for her to perform and gain that performance experience. You can't exactly stop any of that or prevent the other schools from taking a peek. It's out of our control, Dad."

"You have a point, Jacob. However, like I keep telling you, the presence of all these other kids makes me nervous. The interest in Miss Swan right now is fresh, and I think as time wears on, that won't be the case, so I'd feel more comfortable if she holds off singing publicly at the moment. It's just a feeling I have. I feel like if I let her perform now, I'm setting her up for something she may not be able to handle."

"Oh please, Dad! You're letting your imagination get away from you again. It's a damn singing competition. You already have put too much weight on it and has Isabella so wound up about it. Just learn to let go a little. So word gets out about how talented she is. What does it matter? It isn't like anyone can do anything about it. If anything, these rivals find out what they don't have and strive to give Isabella some competition for the contest. That will actually be good for her and for us. Right now, if I do say so myself, I think she's untouchable. I think it'll be great to rub it in their faces just what a gem we found."

Billy rolled his eyes at his son and shook his head, "After all this time, your level of arrogance still takes me aback, Jacob. Our people are taught to be humble people. You somehow always fail at that lesson. You have always been a cocky kid."

"Hey, I'm just speaking my honest opinion. You know how special Isabella is. When you first heard her sing, you said yourself that her voice, her spirit, and her love for the music in her heart reminded you so much of Mom. Mom wouldn't have wanted you to shelter Isabella's talent, like what was done with her. She would've wanted you to spread the joy that Isabella's singing can bring. Bring it out to the masses. That's mainly why we even decided to enter her into this Sing-Off."

Edward, upon hearing Mr. Black's words about Bella, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for his best friend. He, of all people, knew the most of Bella's immense talent. When they were little kids, Bella would spontaneously just break out into song. He was probably one of the first to know that Bella could sing, recognizing the immediate power in her voice, before she even debuted her talent to anyone else. Music was always in her heart. He couldn't wait for Bella to blow her singing competition out of the water.

However, the words and concern of the elder Mr. Black worried Edward. He didn't exactly know what Billy Black meant, no specifics were uttered that he had overheard, but he suddenly felt a need to be extra protective of Bella tonight just based on the elder Mr. Black's worries.

The presence of all these outsiders at the dance made Edward uneasy, because he realized why they were here. They were scoping out the competitor for their respective schools. Whether they were sent or came on their own, it was clear from the Blacks' conversation that they were mainly here to find out and assess Bella's singing talent. Their sole focus for coming onto FHS territory was Bella, obviously hearing that the high school's entrant to the Sing-Off was going to be performing at the dance tonight. Edward didn't know if the outsiders just came to see what the fuss was about surrounding Bella or if they had other, possibly sinister, motives, but Edward knew that he'd be damned if he'd let these outsiders affect Bella in any way.

He sent Jasper away to warn their friends about these outsiders and keep Bella well-guarded for the duration of the evening. Jasper agreed that it was in Bella's best interest, especially after she sang. Jasper also went to enlist the help of Bella's fan club and have those guys get planted around the various groups of outsiders to gather any information they could, especially concerning Bella. It was agreed that a powwow session would happen later so that they could share any information with one another.

Edward continued to eavesdrop and hadn't paid any attention to how much time he'd already spent listening in on the Blacks' conversation. The dance had continued on around him, but being too engrossed in all the Blacks' had to say, Edward barely noticed. When once he was almost aching to get out and groove on the dance floor, it had long since been forgotten. Also long forgotten was his date, Jessica.

Jessica stomped over to Edward when she felt that he'd already been preoccupied long enough. He had kept her waiting once more and that had her temper flare again. She had been under the illusion that Edward would act like the perfect boyfriend, but she should've known better. He never really acted the way she expected her boyfriends to act. Tonight wasn't any different.

As she got closer to where he was, she realized that Edward wasn't even talking to either of the Mr. Blacks, but instead was lurking in the shadows seemingly captivated by the conversation they were having. That had her both confused and mad at the same time. How dare Edward rather eavesdrop on two teachers than spend his time dancing with her? The DJ was just starting a series of slow songs and Jessica felt it was time to get her fun night underway by slow-dancing with her boyfriend. If it was the last thing she was going to do, she would make Edward pay all his attention to her, like good boyfriends were supposed to do.

Edward was lucky enough to catch sight of Jessica, before Jacob and Billy did, and stop her just in time from making a scene and exposing his spying to them. He herded Jessica into the shadows with him and implored her to be quiet; however, Jessica was damned that she'd be silenced in such a way. She wanted to know what the hell was going on and threaten to tell on Edward for his obvious eavesdropping if he didn't give her a damn good explanation.

Edward tried his best to placate Jessica while still remaining as covert as possible but still listen to the music teachers discuss Bella and her participation in the singing competition. It seemed he really didn't have to worry about being discovered; both Mr. Blacks were completely oblivious to anything else going on around them while they were immersed in their conversation.

Edward was starting to only hear bits and pieces of the Blacks' conversation now as Jessica began prattling on and chastising Edward for making her miss slow-dancing with him; something she apparently had been looking forward to the most. At least, she hadn't raised her voice to the point where the Blacks would've noticed that their conversation was being listened to.

He tried his best to explain to Jessica what was happening and why he was paying more attention to the music teachers instead of her, but that only served to fuel Jessica's anger. Edward finally had to cup a hand over her mouth when her voice started to get louder. Jessica couldn't handle being covert very well and Edward knew that his eavesdropping would have been blown wide-open if Jessica stuck around.

Edward was ready to wrap things up with the eavesdropping, since Jessica's constant yapping was making it almost impossible for him to concentrate anymore on the Blacks' conversation and they, in turn, seemed to have lowered their voices to mere hushed whispers, as if they suddenly realized that their discussion was being listened to. He initially thought that there was really nothing important left to be heard anyways. However, before he could drag Jessica away, Edward heard the word "danger" and Bella's name in the same sentence, or at least he thought he had. A shudder ran through him at the mere thought that Bella might be in danger. Edward had to know for certain if he heard correctly and that meant interjecting into the Blacks' conversation and outing that he was indeed tuning in on their private discussion. However, there was no other choice for him-he had to protect his best friend. Edward grappled quickly for a plan then took Jessica's hand and nonchalantly brought them out of the shadows and into clear view of the two teachers. Jessica was quite confused about the turn of events, but remained silent since Edward beseeched her to just play along.

Edward cleared his throat then spoke, "Excuse me, sirs, did I just accidentally hear one of you say that Bella was in danger."

Both Mr. Blacks ceased their talking immediately and turned to find a smirking Edward and a perplexed looking Jessica. Edward stood there looking expectant for a reply and as cool as cucumber, not giving any hint that he had been eavesdropping on most of their conversation for the past several minutes. The Blacks, on the other hand, started shifting nervously on their feet, and Edward could see beads of sweat start to form upon the brow of the elder Mr. Black, proving to him that he hadn't heard incorrectly. Now, he was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of things.

After a beat of everyone staring awkwardly at one another, Jacob spoke, "Edward, Jessica, my father and I didn't see you two kids there. How long have you two been standing there?"

"Not long at all," Edward replied. "Just passing through actually, then I...I mean, we, just suddenly heard one of you throw out that Bella might be in danger over the din of the music, and as you might already know, Bella Swan is a very good friend of mine...I mean, ours. You could understand our concern."

Billy Black chuckled nervously before asking, "Well, what are you two kids doing way over here instead of enjoying yourselves at this lovely dance? Last I checked, the dance floor was way over there on the other side of the gym."

Jessica wanted the answer to that question as well and looked at Edward pointedly. Edward, not missing a beat, unclasped hands with Jessica then threw an arm over her shoulder and replied, "Well, I was just bringing my girlfriend over here for some private time. You know, so we could be alone and away from the crowd." He lied smoothly and even wagged his eyebrows at the two men to further emphasize his point.

Jessica gave him a strange look, but the two Mr. Blacks didn't seem to have noticed. They actually seemed to have bought his lie and were no longer suspicious that their conversation had intentionally been overheard. Jacob Black nodded at him knowingly.

"So, um, going back to Bella, what was it that you were saying again about her being in danger?" Edward asked, focusing their conversation back to Bella.

"Well, what is it you think you heard again, Mr. Cullen?" Billy Black inquired.

"I thought you said that Bella was in danger. Is she? What exactly is this danger you were talking about?"

"Maybe we just heard wrong, Edward," Jessica finally spoke up, impatience clear in her tone. "We should just let it go."

"Yeah, you should listen to your girlfriend, Edward," Jacob affirmed. "You certainly misheard us. My father and I said no such things about Bella."

"Oh?" Edward asked, incredulous.

"Of course, son," Billy tried to say in as believable a tone as possible. "Why would Bella be in any danger? Doesn't that sound absolutely ridiculous?"

"Oh, I don't know, you tell me," Edward retorted back.

"Edward," Jessica again interjected. "We obviously heard wrong. Now, let's just leave both Mr. Blacks alone and get on with our evening. I wanna dance like right now," she continued in that perfected whiny tone of hers.

"You should go and have a good time with Miss Stanley here," Billy then uttered. "Take her to dance. It looks as if she's getting impatient to dance with you and that's no way to treat your date. If I may, I suggest that you don't go bringing her to any more dark corners, hmm... You know how we generally frown upon such behavior and such public displays of affection."

"I know I heard you both mention Bella's name," Edward stated emphatically.

"Yes, we were discussing Miss Swan. However, I'm telling you that Jacob and I were just discussing how we were looking forward to her performance tonight and doing some strategizing for the upcoming singing competition," Billy now answered coolly.

"Yes, Edward, there's nothing to worry about where Bella is concerned," Jacob added. "Besides, being the daughter of the Chief of Police makes her pretty well protected anyways. Don't you think?" In saying that, he gave a pointed look at his father which Edward didn't miss.

"See, Edward, both Mr. Blacks says that there's nothing for you to worry about. Now, let's go dance," Jessica reiterated, pulling the arm he had around her shoulder and trying to tug Edward away. "Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Black and Mr. Black," she stated to Billy and Jacob.

"Uh, yeah, okay. Sorry again for intruding," Edward muttered and let Jessica lead him away.

Edward knew that the Blacks were blatantly lying to him and that he hadn't heard wrong; it was evident in their body language and tones in which they spoke to him. However, they were obviously not going to reveal any of their concern to him. They probably figured that he was just a punk ass kid too curious for his own good or they wanted to spare him the trouble of worrying about Bella. Either way, he wasn't ever going to know what their exact concern was, although Edward had a sneaking suspicion it had greatly to do with Bella competing in the Sing-Off. He could only hope that they would confide in Bella's dad, since he was the Chief of Police, and that whatever danger they felt Bella was in, that together the three of them could keep Bella safe. It was out of his hands. For now, though, he was going to do his damnedest to protect his best friend at this dance. He now viewed all these outsider kids as potential threats to Bella, since they were obviously here to scope her out.

Instead of taking Jessica straight to the dance floor, he brought her back to her group of friends and excused himself once more, much to Jessica's chagrin. He needed to talk with Jasper, Emmett, and Ben and recruit them into the Bella protection detail. Edward was able to placate Jessica with promises of his undivided attention, every dance thereafter, and another major PDA session upon his return from speaking to his brothers and friends. Fortunately for him, Misty rallied behind him and helped to smooth things over with Jessica.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Every one of Bella's closest friends was excited for her performance, and they were happy that Bella thought to share with them the three short selections she was going to sing. The song choices were nowhere near the song choices she would need to impress the judges at the Sing-Off; however, tonight was all about getting her comfortable in front of an audience. The fact that she chose two love songs, where she was going to encourage the student-body to dance along to her voice was deliberate on her part, since she was still leery of having all eyes be on her. She'd hoped that it would prove somewhat of a distraction for both those in attendance and for herself; focusing on the dancing couples surrounding her and knowing that their focus would not be on her was hopefully going to ease her anxiety somewhat.

Both Mr. Blacks were supportive of what Bella wanted to sing and what she was attempting to do, just wanting Bella to get experience being out on a stage. If Bella was going to impress the judges at the Sing-Off, one of the things she needed to polish was how to command the stage. The Blacks knew that it wasn't just about a singer's talent that helped them to win the singing competition; it was a complete package that the judges needed to see.

As the time drew nearer to her performance, Bella's anxiety of being out there on stage was very palpable; however, she had her friends surrounding her and supporting her tremendously which kept her from completely bolting from the dance on account of her nerves. She had been nervous to sing at the school assembly, but it wasn't anywhere near the level of anxiety she felt at this dance. Bella wanted to throw up and thought that if she did, she might feel better; therefore, she, Alice, and Rosalie stayed close to the restrooms, just in case Bella needed to hurl. It was very nice, Bella thought, of her two closest girlfriends to temporarily forgo their own fun at the dance in order to help take care of her.

It hadn't escaped Bella's attention that there were lots of unfamiliar faces at the dance. Forks High was a small enough of a school to where Bella knew that these kids didn't attend school with her. In fact, she even recognized some kids that definitely went to the Res School of La Push, and although she actually knew a few of the kids personally, they chose to keep their distance from her this evening. She wasn't offended. She knew how territorial some high school kids could be. With her dad actually being good friends with the Black's and Clearwater's, as well as having several deputies on his staff from the reservation, she actually spent a good amount of time at La Push at social gatherings and on fishing trips with him.

Bella couldn't wager a guess where the other outsiders came from, but she definitely knew why they were attending her school dance. She knew that they were there to see her sing. It was the only plausible explanation as to why they came when normally FHS dances weren't any big deal. She only really ever saw this many outside students from other nearby high schools during the big football games. Emmett even observed that he had seen half of Sappho's offensive line at the dance.

The Blacks weren't really kidding when they had told her that if she announced her entry into the Sing-Off that word would spread like wildfire to the surrounding towns, then the people from the rival high schools would want to actively seek her out just to see what the competition was like. It was added attention and pressure that they didn't want to wish on her and that was why they had initially advised her and her father to keep her participation a secret. It was a common practice amongst the schools that had entrants in the competition, not ever revealing who their talent was that was entered until it had to be printed in the competition programs that came out about a month before. It was her insistence, though, that she could no longer keep up the charade, that had her father agreeing to going public with her participation and as her father said, "letting the chips fall where they may" afterward.

The presence of all these other high school kids was what made Bella's anxiety level spike higher. She wanted to leave a good impression on them and have her school and especially her music coaches take pride in her and her talent. She just wasn't sure now of how well she could perform. All the what ifs plagued her mind and her insecurities threatened to take a foothold on her.

Fortunately for Bella, she had Edward around as her biggest cheerleader. When the time came for Bella to take the stage, his unwavering faith in her that she would absolutely blow all these outsiders away with the power of her voice and that Forks High would have bragging rights, greatly helped with the battle against her nerves. The music began for her set and all she needed to do was to look at Edward's smiling face and bright, green eyes out in the front row and all her nervousness left her.

Bella began to belt out the lyrics and became instantly lost amongst the music and melodies. She was giving her performance her all and she more than captivated her audience. Couples did dance to the love songs she sang, while being mesmerized with her singing at the same time. Her heart swelled when she noticed that Edward began slow-dancing with Jessica where they stood, that patented smile still upon his face. It would seem that Edward was finally having the good time he had wanted all evening.

When the strains of the notes for her final song faded away and Bella sang her last lyric, she was met with enthusiastic applause. To say that she was floored by the response she received was an understatement. She was bursting with pride and joy. As she looked upon some of the faces of the students from other schools, she could tell that she did what she had set out to do which was to impress them. They looked quite impressed. Both Mr. Blacks complimented her on a terrific performance, and as she left the stage, the kids she knew from La Push gave her their thumbs up approval. All the positive responses Bella received for her performance meant a lot to her. She joined her friends and was greeted with their rousing congratulations and raves for her performance.

"What did I tell you, Bella? You were great out there! Nothing for you to have worried about," Edward enthused.

"Thanks! I really couldn't have done it without all of you guys support," Bella gushed.

"You were really, really great, Bella," Alice exclaimed and clapped. All of Bella's other friends nodded their agreement.

"You really killed them out there, Bella. I actually saw those Sappho kids dejected. I think they know that their contestant has no chance in hell against you come Sing-Off time," Emmett boomed.

"And you know what else, Bella," Rosalie interjected. "You're hot. You got that going for you. There were these two girls next to Emmett and I, and I don't know what school they came from, but I distinctly heard them say that their contestant had a voice to match yours, but their girl was nowhere near your beauty, so based on that alone, you'd probably get the win."

"Yeah, no shit, Bella. Rosie is totally telling the absolute truth," Emmett added.

Bella couldn't help but blush at that, "Oh, I don't know. If she's got a voice equal to mine, we'll have to see come competition time who the judges prefer."

"Oh, please. We all know that looks count for a lot. Mr. Black knew what he found when he realized you could sing," Jessica spoke. "There were other kids that they probably could enter and mold into a winner, but they probably didn't look half as good as you. And, there are certainly other kids, like me, who look just as good as you, maybe even better, but can't sing for shit, so they figured you'd do."

Everyone looked at Jessica with awe, but not exactly in a good way. Edward just rolled his eyes. He knew that Jessica meant well, even if it was kind of a backhanded compliment to Bella.

"Uh, thanks? I guess," Bella replied.

"Well, now that your performance is over, Bella, you can finally grant those dances. Some of those poor boys have been so patient waiting for their chance to dance with you," Alice announced and pointed out a few guys that were standing around, looking sheepish, and waiting on Bella.

"You'd probably make Yorkie's night, if you dance with that doofus," Edward retorted with a chuckle.

"Edward!" Bella chastised.

"What?" Edward replied. "Everyone is thinking the same thing. I'm just the one that's not afraid to say it."

"Well, looks like your dance card is certainly going to be full, girl," Angela remarked with a giggle.

"Oh, yeah. I saw all those guys flocking to ask you earlier. I'm willing to bet that there will be more now after that awesome performance you gave," Jasper declared and Bella had to blush again.

"You deserve it. Work's over, time to go and have yourself some fun," Ben added.

"Speaking of which, what are we all doing standing around here for? Let's go shake our groove things," Emmett boomed again. "C'mon, Bella, who's the lucky guy that you're going to give your first dance to?"

"Um, yeah...okay...Edward and I will see you guys around," Jessica said as she made to drag Edward away, but Edward was still not budging. He, obviously, wanted to hang a little longer with his friends.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I just wanna take a break first, y'know. I'm still on this high from performing and I think I just want to have a seat and take the whole scene in first," Bella answered.

They all nodded at one another, and was about to disperse, when an unfamiliar voice chimed in, "Maybe after your little break, you'd be so kind as to grant me your first dance," he uttered to Bella.

Bella locked eyes with the boy and she immediately flushed. He was tall, quite handsome, built, and had deep brown eyes like hers. Bella couldn't imagine why a guy that cute would even want to talk to her, let alone dance with her, she also wondered why she hadn't noticed him before then.

Bella's group found themselves joined by three kids that weren't from their school. However, Bella seemed familiar with at least two of them. Her male friends all cleared their throats in unison, their way of asking for an introduction. Edward was particularly leery of these new guys that seemed to be crushing on Bella.

"Oh, excuse me," Bella finally said, snapping out of her trance from laying eyes on the handsome boy. "Guys, this is Jared and Embry. They go to the Res school on La Push. Uh, we've hung out a few times when I'd been down there with my dad. This must be their friend..."

"Paul," the handsome boy who seemed just as entranced with Bella, answered. He then took one of Bella's hands and planted a kiss atop it. "It's my absolute pleasure to meet you, Bella."

Bella's cheeks turned crimson again at the unusual greeting. The other boys just snickered at Paul's gesture, while the girls in the group all seemed rather impressed.

"Um...yeah, Bella, this is our friend, Paul. He just moved to the the Res from up North, the Makah Res. We thought we'd take him around, show him the sites you know. We heard that you were going to sing at your dance tonight and we thought it would be cool to come and check you out," Jared stated.

"Totally killer performance, Bella," Embry expounded. "We were all captivated, especially Paul here, if you can't already tell."

"Oh, yeah. Paul totally wouldn't stop bugging us about how great you were and that he'd like to meet you and he said he was going to pound us if we didn't introduce you to him," Jared added. "Um, so here we are."

Paul glared at his friends and Bella just flushed again. Everyone else quietly giggled. Both Paul and Bella never drew their eyes away from another and Paul still held one of Bella's hand in his own, never having given it back after his little peck. They both seemed to have been immediately taken by one another.

"Well, I'm not sorry I threatened them," Paul muttered. "I would've done anything for a chance to get to know you, Bella. You were wonderful up there and you're very beautiful," he continued to say, speaking only to Bella. He practically didn't notice all of her other friends that were around.

The other friends started feeling awkward standing around watching what was unfolding between Bella and Paul. They felt like they were intruding on a private moment. They all decided to leave the two alone.

"Okay, it looks like you're pretty occupied now, Bella. We're all gonna go and just leave you guys alone. We'll just hook back up later," Alice spoke for the group.

"Okay," was all that Bella said in response, her eyes still focused on Paul's.

"Do you want to go sit down and talk a little before we go dance?" Paul asked Bella, which Bella nodded in agreement.

The two walked away hand in hand and headed for a nearby table. They didn't even bother to further acknowledge the group that they just left behind. Jared and Embry excused themselves, taking that as their cue to leave.

"What the hell?" Edward grumbled.

"Awww! Looks like Bella's smitten," Alice gushed.

"And he's cute too," Rosalie interjected.

"Well, good for her," Angela remarked.

"Cool. Now, maybe if she goes out with him, then my Edward's attention will go back to me, where it belongs," Jessica added and Edward winced at her words. The rest of the group snickered.

With that, Edward left the gang, pulling Jessica along to the dance floor. As promised, for the rest of the night he lavished his attention on Jessica, but he still kept a watchful eye on Bella and Paul.

Although Edward didn't necessarily like it, everyone that saw the exchange between Bella and Paul knew what was happening. Bella was starry-eyed and Paul seemed absolutely beguiled by Bella. For the rest of the night, the two talked and Bella only danced with him, much to the disappointment of the other guys that had crushes on Bella. There was no mistaking that Paul and Bella instantly liked one another. When the time came to leave, they exchanged phone numbers, and had difficulty saying goodbye. However, promises to talk and set up a group date made things easier, eventually. Paul was all Bella could talk about during the limo ride home. It was clear that Bella was absolutely swept away.

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**END A/N:** Up next, we'll be talking some Edward and Bella relationships, but, um, not with each other. After that, we're heading to the Sing-Off.

See you all at the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Here's Chapter 5. Not too long of a wait for this next one-yay me! As previously stated, working on my other story, _Alice's Playboy Brothers_, has helped me to better write this one, so I don't plan on having too much of a delay any more in updating this one consistently. I'm sorry, I still can't promise a more regular posting schedule like other authors—there's so many variables between me and my beta, that it would be better if I just promise to update just as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience with me.

Have you seen the beautiful banners that the seriously talented, sunray16, made for this story yet? Link on my profile.

Hugs and kisses to the beautiful, lovely, patient, and magical Cheermom for once again coming through with the edits. Without her I would be doing this on my own also, and I don't think I could live with that. One story at a time without beta assistance is enough for me.

**LOVING READING THE REVIEWS COMING IN FOR THIS STORY AGAIN**

**PLEASE CONTINUE**

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**Chapter 5-Change is What Remains Constant**

_**A few months after the dance...**_

Edward eyed Bella and Demetri warily from his perch on the fence. He saw that Demetri had an arm around Bella and the two of them were deeply engrossed in their own conversation, pretty much oblivious to anything else going on around them. They certainly didn't pay Edward any mind and they probably didn't even realize how he was closely observing them.

The tears that Bella shed earlier had since dried up-all thanks to Demetri. She was laughing hysterically now over something seemingly clever that he probably just said and her earlier troubles were clearly long forgotten. Demetri seemed to have the same comforting touch with Bella that Edward foolishly thought was exclusive to him, being that he'd been Bella's best friend since they were five. Edward guessed he was bound to be replaced sooner or later by another guy. He was just the best friend after all.

When Bella met Demetri, Edward thought it was too soon for Bella to be dating again. However, he knew he'd be a hypocrite for saying so to her, considering his own recent chaotic dating history. Edward thought it funny that he and Bella seemed to be quite alike in that regard.

Edward was actually between girlfriends at the moment and he wasn't comfortable with it, seeing as he was surrounded by couples. Bella had Demetri now, and his brothers, Emmett and Jasper, were still going strong with Rosalie and Alice. Ben and Angela were also still together.

The latter three couples had gotten very serious with each other quickly and seemed to have really found love. Seriously, Edward thought, they were all 14 and 15 year olds, how in love could they be exactly? At least, Emmett, Jasper, and Ben couldn't stop blabbing to him how wonderful their girls were and how great it was to be in their relationships. When they raved, Edward couldn't help but feel that they were also making some subtle dig on him and his personal life. It really kind of made Edward sick how whipped those three guys were. However, he couldn't deny that he wanted that for himself as well. He wouldn't have minded being whipped and that comfortable in his own relationship. He'd never seen his brothers or his friend happier.

Edward, on the other hand, was not as lucky in relationships. Shortly after the dance, he ended things abruptly with Jessica and started immediately dating Tanya. Tanya was the pretty, strawberry-blonde haired girl whom he first noticed at the school library that one day when she inadvertently interrupted his make-out session there with Jessica.

Edward unintentionally ran into Tanya again at the dance and they were able to talk a little. Then he begun to frequently run into her around school here and there, and they became friendly. She was a sophomore, but she definitely was interested in Edward. Edward couldn't really get her out of his mind after that and began to see her as more than just a friend and with his relationship with Jessica not exactly working out-it wasn't a hard choice. Tanya was pretty, even with her glasses, and definitely was a change of pace from the less intelligent, Jessica; however, things got boring with her quickly, plus she got very clingy, and so Edward had to move on.

After Tanya, there were a series of pretty girls he dated in quick succession, Kate, Makenna, and Tia, all of whom his feelings burnt white hot at first, but as time went on, the spark fizzled quickly. They were all better off without him anyways, since shortly after he broke up with them, they seemed to immediately find happiness in the arms of some other guy.

After his breakup with Tia, Edward's brothers suggested that he take a breather from dating and take the time to explore his options a bit further instead of just moving on quickly to the next pretty girl that caught his eye. Edward decided to take his brothers' advice, even though there was no shortage of girls waiting in line to become his next girlfriend.

Bella pretty much followed the same path, floating quickly from relationship to relationship. But then again, weren't most teens the same way? She saw Edward struggle as well, so she didn't necessarily feel anything was wrong with how quickly she changed her mind about boyfriends. Of course, Rosalie, Alice, and Angela begged to differ. They were blissfully happy in their relationships and wanted Bella to find the same thing. Bella wanted what her girlfriends had found also; however, the only problem was that she hadn't yet met a boy that didn't give her unnecessary problems.

Paul was cute and he had swept her off her feet at the dance, but Bella quickly saw that once he got comfortable with her, his true colors showed. Paul was insecure and temperamental. He knew that Bella had plenty of admirers at Forks High, which made him nervous since they didn't attend the same school; it made Paul become clingy, jealous, and irrational. His behavior caused Bella to start liking him less and less. She was done with him the day he skipped school to come spy on her at FHS.

After the intensity of her feelings for Paul faded, barely a month into the relationship, Bella landed into the open and willing arms of Paul's friend, Jared. Jared had always been very nice and he and Bella always got along well. However, that relationship never really got off the ground considering that things felt all kinds of awkward from the start with Paul still within Jared's circle of friends, even though Jared had distanced himself from Paul. Once Paul found out about Jared and Bella, he let his temper get the best of him and Jared found his face at the other end of Paul's fist. Bella thought it would be better if they remained just friends after that. Bella was starting to think that dating anyone from the Res might be a bad idea.

Next, Bella began to get courted by a kid named Felix, whom she had met at one of the away football games, but that dimwit couldn't get over the fact that her father was Chief Swan, so he quickly ended things, but Bella wasn't exactly heartbroken when she got dumped. Felix was cute and nice, but he loved football entirely too much for Bella's tastes.

Then there was a brief time when Bella hung out with Alec, whom she met while at the annual Tri-County police soiree at Ozette Lake, which she went to with her dad. It was another event where Bella sang and was able to further hone her performance skills. Becoming comfortable with singing in front of an audience other than her schoolmates was important.

She and Alec had a lot in common, especially with both their dads being police chiefs; however, after a few dates wherein Alec's twin sister, Jane, was a constant companion, Bella ended things with no hard feelings. She just couldn't stand his sister.

Before Demetri came along, there was the complete disaster, Alistair, whom not only was a juvenile delinquent, which Bella did not know about, but he also only wanted to date Bella to gain access to Sing-Off secrets. Bella was warned by the Blacks that some boys' intentions may not always be good ones; therefore, it wasn't a complete surprise, but it was still a shock. Bella couldn't believe that she had Alistair pegged all wrong. Needless to say, he was run off soon after he was found out, and Bella hadn't heard from him since.

All of Bella's recent ex-boyfriends were all not from Forks High, even though she never lacked for admirers at her own school, like her friends always seemed to point out to her. She initially enjoyed the freedom of being attached to a boy, but not having him constantly around her, which would've been the case if she had a boyfriend at FHS. Bella was actually one that believed that absence made the heart grow fonder, and looked forward to talking and seeing her guy after school when her singing practices were done, after having been apart the whole day. They still always had the weekends together as well, which Bella thought was plenty of time to spend with her boyfriends. However, after all the recent messes with boys outside of her school, Bella was beginning to rethink whether it was a good idea to date anyone else not from Forks High. However, she then met Demetri.

Bella met Demetri at the local grocery store the day before Valentine's Day. He happened to be the new bag boy at the checkout. Edward was there when they had first met since he had tagged along with Bella and Chief Swan that day to help the Chief do a grocery run for the station. It was also a way for Edward and Bella to do their own sneaky Valentine's Day shopping.

The moment that the two of them locked eyes at the checkout, Bella started her telltale blushing and got all giggly like girls usually did when they developed crushes. Demetri, in turn, started sloppily bagging the groceries until the cashier snapped him out of his trance, since he was unaware of Chief Swan glaring at him for doing such a poor job. Edward knew right away that his best friend was once again dazzled, this time by the kid with the dimples, blue eyes, and unruly light brown hair. He'd seen that starry-eyed look in her before. Demetri had the same goofy look upon his face. By the time all the groceries were bagged properly, loaded into the overflowing cart, and Charlie paid, Bella had herself a new valentine.

Demetri was new to Forks, having just moved in with his grandmother. Apparently, Demetri had divorced parents in common with Bella, and lucky for Bella he was pawned off to his grandma so he could have a more stable living environment. Forks wasn't necessarily Demetri's first choice as to where to live after the divorce, but things looked up for him once he laid eyes on Bella.

He was being home-schooled currently, since he arrived so late in the school year; his grandmother paying for a regular tutor. However, after the summer break he was going to begin his senior year at Forks High. Bella couldn't believe her luck. Well, that is if they stayed together beyond the summer, a test for many young couples.

Demetri began working as a bag boy upon his grandmother's insistence, so he could earn some money for college, but he was never happier to have had that job, because if he didn't, he probably may have never met Bella. He was a lot older than the other boys that Bella had gone out with previously; however, Chief Swan didn't seem to have a problem with it. Bella and Demetri started talking on the phone often, then before too long, Demetri was visiting Bella after school and taking her home from Sing-Off preparatory sessions and performances about town, since he was practically seventeen, could drive, and was making things easier on Charlie's schedule. Maybe that was the main reason he liked the guy, Edward pondered.

Between Bella's music and intensified practice schedule for the Sing-Off since it was a short-time away, Demetri, and other activities occupying her time, Bella rarely had time for her best friend, Edward. Edward was also busy with his own activities, which made it troublesome for the two of them to hang out like they used to. Although he was quite grumpy about the long bouts of separation during the beginning of all the changes, Edward had gotten used to it by now. It was a good thing since he spared everyone around him from having to deal with him having a perpetually bad mood.

Today had been a rare day where Edward could finally hang with Bella like old times. Well, sort of. Chief Swan was having a get-together, with all of Bella's closest friends invited, and together they were celebrating the upcoming Sing-Off competition. Months of Bella's hard work was going to culminate into this weekend long, towards the end of the school year competition. In exactly a week, Bella was going to stand before the judges and try to notch an all-important win for Forks High. If Bella succeeded, it would be the first time Forks High would hold the trophy in nearly 18 years. That was a long time for the town of Forks not to have a representative at the Governor's Gala.

Edward, being the good best friend that he was, arrived early to help with preparations for the little party, much to Chief Swan's appreciation. Demetri would've come earlier also, however, he had to help his grandmother first. He ended up arriving earlier than planned anyways.

Now, as he sat and regarded Bella and Demetri, Edward couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Things had certainly become very different between he and Bella once she began dating, and especially more so when Demetri became a staple part of her life. Bella genuinely seemed to care for the guy and it appears that he'd be sticking around, since Bella's feelings hadn't yet fizzled like with the other guys, and the two were approaching the twelve weeks mark of dating-the longest relationship that Bella had so far.

It used to only be Edward that Bella turned consistently to for comfort, when she had boyfriends, she now sought out their comfort. It was completely understandable, but it was something that Edward still wasn't totally comfortable with.

Because kids were cruel and Bella's participation in the Sing-Off was well-known in the Tri-county area by now, as well as she was largely considered to be a front-runner for the top prize, Bella has had to endure prank phone calls for months now. No matter how many times Chief Swan had changed their number, even going as far as bugging his own phone to try and curb the prank callers, some punk ass person would always still figure out the new number and make a disturbing call. It wasn't even just kids anymore who thought it would be funny to prank Bella. Actual adults, who took the competition way more seriously than they should, have decided to pick on Bella also, calling her and trying to scare her into dropping out of the competition to make way for the one they supported.

Chief Swan actually had to arrest one guy for harassment and issue a few citations for the prank calling. It had gotten so bad that Chief Swan had caved in and allowed Edward to give Bella her very own cell phone, her first ever, as a Christmas present. Bella was under strict orders to keep her cell number very private, so only the very few people closest to Bella had her cell number, and Bella used it sparingly so that it wouldn't be well known that she had one. So far, she hadn't received any prank calls on her cell phone yet, thank goodness.

People being petty and malicious, all because of a singing competition, was unbelievable; however these things were happening. Edward and the rest of the gang had heard stories of things like these happening to other contestants also. It was what the Blacks were worried about, particularly Billy, and had wanted Bella to avoid; however, they were helpless to stop it. Even being the daughter of the Police Chief of Forks didn't make Bella immune, as Jacob initially thought. Some people just weren't intimidated by that fact.

Billy Black was grateful, though, that more serious acts against Bella weren't perpetuated, cause he had been around long enough to witness heinous things occur with pranks going too far with past contestants. It was what he had been so riled up about when he first had the discussion with Jacob at the dance. He was afraid things might go wrong.

His worries weren't exactly baseless. Billy was one of the first to arrive at a disturbing scene of a car accident where a high school student and her little brother were killed, all because some callous person thought it would be funny to "play" with the Sing-Off contestant while she was driving. The inexperienced driver ended up losing control of her car and falling down an embankment, probably in an effort to get herself away from the prankster. She had been the reason why Forks High hadn't thought to enter a contestant into the competition in years. Things had gotten out of control.

Jacob and Billy were also enduring pranks being perpetuated on them. Apart from a number of phone calls, their house had been TP'ed numerous times, their mailbox stolen but thankfully returned, and Jacob had found his car's tires deflated on multiple occasions. The Res school apparently didn't appreciate them molding Bella into the next competition winner. They weren't deterred by the foolishness, however.

All the prank phone calls were upsetting to Bella, but she was a trooper and took it all in stride. She wasn't discouraged by them. She realized the prestige a competition like the Sing-Off could give one of the small towns that dotted the Tri-County area. She understood the importance and significance of the winner hailing from their town, so she couldn't exactly be too upset at those that were overly invested in the competition.

However, no one was going to be more relieved than her when the Sing-Off was finally over. Bella didn't exactly know how much more of the nonsense she could endure and it made her think twice about representing FHS again in subsequent Sing-Offs. If people were just going to continue on like this, she wanted nothing to do with the singing competition ever again, even if she had a good chance of winning it every time. Bella wanted nothing to do with all the emotional stress the prank phone calls caused her. On top of that, she'd much rather return to her normal life, the life she had before she agreed to be a part of this competition.

Earlier today, Bella received another disturbing prank phone call. Edward didn't know what Bella heard at the other end of the line, but he knew it upset her greatly, to the point that she was a crying mess. He tried to offer his comfort to her as best as he could, but Bella didn't want him. She specifically tracked down Demetri and had him come over to be with her, even though Edward was already there available, willing, and able to offer her his shoulder.

It took Edward aback, since it was the first time he truly felt that he was being relegated to just being the best friend to Bella. He wasn't who she needed, even though it was the most natural thing for him to offer her a comforting hug. He had never felt more awkward as when he tried to pull Bella into an embrace, but instead she pushed him away. She then went immediately to the phone to call Demetri. Edward didn't think he could ever get used to the fact that it wasn't his place anymore.

Edward remembered that it wasn't too long ago when it was just his shoulders that Bella would cry upon. He was the one who was constantly there to ease her worries, sorrows, or whatever else troubled her and she allowed him to take care of her. He looked back fondly on the last time he remembered having to comfort a very distraught Bella.

He and Bella returned home from a week at summer camp to find Bella's beloved pet goldfish dead. She loved that goldfish and was mad at her dad for having neglected it. Bella was so distraught that Edward had spent most of the afternoon sitting in the rocking chair in Bella's room, with her on his lap and him holding her, just rocking back and forth, trying to soothe her anger and grief. He didn't mind whatsoever and felt content that he was making his best friend happier.

As Edward continued to look upon Bella and Demetri, who seemed glued to the same spot on the porch, Edward began to recall the many times it was he and Bella who had sat there on her porch, engrossed in their own conversation, seemingly lost in their own world, much like she and Demetri were now. As Bella continued to laugh, Edward recalled the many times it used to be him that had Bella shaking with laughter, causing any troubles that she may have had to be forgotten. Demetri did all that for her now, and Edward couldn't help but feel that Demetri was doing a great job of taking his place

Edward knew that it was foolish and arrogant of him to think that no one could rival him with regards to caring for Bella. They were just best friends, and one day, he knew that someone would come along and really love Bella the way she was meant to be loved. Bella was an amazing girl and Edward knew that she was bound to find something true like the way his brothers and Ben had found with her friends. Demetri could very well be that one.

Edward could tell that Demetri already cared very deeply for his best friend, feelings that probably rivaled his own, except Demetri's feelings weren't platonic. He's already fiercely protective of her, just like Edward. He seemed to truly make Bella happy, her eyes always bright and adoring whenever she'd look at him. Edward had yet to see them argue or even have a disagreement. They always seemed to work things out as a couple, making sacrifices, allowances, and compromises. It was very mature of them. Bella had never had any complaints or one negative thing to say about Demetri-he was perfect to her. Edward knew that Demetri felt the same way-she hung the moon.

Despite all this, Edward still mistrusted the guy. He knew that Demetri, although it didn't seem like it now, was still perfectly capable of hurting Bella, and for that alone, he still wasn't good enough for his best friend. No guy was, actually, in Edward's eyes. He felt a little guilty for feeling that way, since he didn't want Bella to end up alone and feeling unloved, but he couldn't help the way he felt.

Edward was always cautious of guys who liked Bella, especially more so after the Alistair debacle. It stemmed from the fact that, above all, he didn't want any guy to hurt Bella, and since he was a guy himself, he knew, or at least he thought he knew, how guys operated, and how easily his best friend could get so caught up in a guy then have him just turn around and break her heart. Heck, he knew that he was probably guilty of the behavior a time or two already. So, he was always guarded towards Bella's admirers.

Even though Bella and Demetri seemed very together and were having the longest relationship either one of them has ever had, Edward was still skeptical and watchful over his best friend. It was only natural since he did care very deeply for Bella. She was very special to him. Theirs was a friendship like no other friendships.

He liked Demetri as a person. Demetri wasn't a bad guy at all; he was cool, easy-going, friendly, and had a charming personality. Demetri wasn't like Paul and insecure about Edward and Bella's close friendship. He actually admired Edward's relationship with Bella. Everyone else in Bella's clique accepted Demetri openly and he, in turn, took to Bella's friends almost immediately. He was now a regular part of the gang.

However, there was just something about Demetri that Edward still didn't like. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but it was almost as if Demetri was too perfect. He fit into Bella's life and the group almost too naturally, like he was too good to be true.

Of course, Edward had never expressed any of his feelings on Demetri to Bella. He acted civil and friendly to the guy always. Bella would probably skin him alive if she ever found out, and Edward certainly didn't want to lose her friendship, especially not over some guy like Demetri; therefore, he kept his inner thoughts to himself.

Edward had to give Demetri credit, though. Chief Swan genuinely took to Demetri right away and liked Demetri probably as much as he liked Edward, and that counted for something. Chief Swan really felt that Demetri was a good match for Bella, despite their age difference. Well, Demetri had shown himself to be nothing but respectful and a gentlemen towards his only daughter, so he couldn't fault the guy. Although, Chief Swan does still joke that Demetri's grocery bagging skills left much to be desired.

Another thing going for Demetri was that he also had the sweetest, coolest, elderly grandmother that Edward had ever known, second only to his own grandma, possibly. Edward had only met her a couple of times since Demetri started dating Bella, but it was clear that she was a great grandmother. She threaded just the right line between being too strict and being too lenient. To Edward, Demetri's grandmother was kind of like grandmas he'd see on TV, and they all knew that people were rarely like they usually are portrayed on the television.

Mama Grace, as Demetri's grandmother preferred to be called, loved Bella and Demetri together. She had made it no secret that she was grateful that her grandson had found something worthwhile in the sleepy, little town of Forks. She had been worried that with Demetri living with her, he was going to be so unhappy, since Forks with all its greenery and small town atmosphere wasn't anything like Demetri was used to, having grown up in a big city. Edward could just bet that grandma was already planning Demetri and Bella's wedding and hoping for cute, little, great-grandbabies. Very premature of her, as she may well know, but that's just what seemed to fit with Demetri's grandmother's personality.

At least, Demetri wasn't one of those pack of sorry puppy dogs that made up what he still regarded as Bella's fan club at FHS, Edward figured. Demetri certainly was a better catch and had more going for himself than those boys like Eric Yorkie who could only hope that Bella would notice them.

Edward was thoroughly amused when he could watch the guys in Bella's fan club meander about the school with hurt feelings and bruised egos as they find out yet again that their revered Bella had a new boyfriend, and it wasn't any one of them. It was even more funny to Edward when Eric Yorkie, stupidly thinking that they're actually closer than they really are, would vent to him about being passed over by Bella numerous times and would question why Edward, being Bella's best friend, refuses to help him get a date with Bella. As if he would ever help Yorkie in any way, shape, or form to date Bella. Edward thought to himself that Yorkie could just keep on dreaming.

Edward had to hand it to Eric and Bella's other regular, douchy admirers; they weren't dissuaded at all by the fact that Bella was dating other guys. They didn't move on from liking Bella any less and having her as their constant object of affection. They still waited patiently in the wings in hopes that she'd begin to notice them one day. They were, after all, smart enough to observe that Bella didn't seem to keep her boyfriends around for long. They hung around waiting for Bella's next boyfriend to mess up. Edward guessed that they figured that if Bella would just allow them one chance, then they'd be the one she'd want to keep.

Edward couldn't quite understand their way of thinking, but he figured them having hope was better than nothing, whatever helped them to sleep at night. Hope was certainly better than them acknowledging how pathetic they were, pining for a girl who clearly didn't want them.

Edward always thought that if Bella hadn't noticed them by now, then there was probably little chance that she would actually mind them ever. Edward had mentioned this to Eric once, when Eric was on one of his unsolicited venting sessions to him, and much to Edward's surprise, it didn't phase Yorkie at all. Yorkie still felt that he had as good of a chance with Bella like any other guy. Edward had to admit that Yorkie had a positive attitude about the whole thing. Eric didn't harbor any hard feelings towards Bella nor did he wish any ill will on any of the guys she dated, except for Alistair-everyone hated what he did to Bella; that guy wasn't going to be able to show his face around town ever again-just too many people after him. Actually, Eric had met Demetri and from what Edward knew, Eric had nothing bad to say about the guy. Or maybe it was more like he would say nothing bad about Demetri, despite his true feelings, lest he wants to ruin his chances with Bella.

Bella, the kind girl that she is, had been nothing but nice to her admirers throughout, but Edward had a feeling that she'd prefer that her fan club members moved on. Although he and Bella actually never discussed her true feelings concerning these guys. Bella would always give her standard statement that she was flattered, but she just wasn't interested; she wasn't the girl for them. Edward knew that the subject of her having admirers and talking about it with him nowadays made Bella uncomfortable, so he would drop it quickly. It was yet another shift in their relationship that Edward was trying to adapt to.

Edward took another swig of the root beer in his hand and continued to scrutinize the couple still sitting on the porch. They didn't seem to notice Edward's intense scrutiny of them from his place on the fence. In fact, ever since Demetri got to Bella's house, Edward became largely ignored, which annoyed Edward just a little. Both the Chief and Bella fawned over Demetri as soon as he arrived and Edward figured that by now they'd probably even forgotten that he was still around. Demetri was ready to play the concerned boyfriend and rushed over as soon as Bella had called. Edward didn't miss the look of surprise on Bella's face when he came out to greet Demetri when he arrived; it was as if she really did temporarily forget that he had been there helping prepare for the little get-together.

Edward had been having such a good time with Bella earlier. He actually wasn't of much help, since there wasn't too much in the way of preparation needed. The most work he did was to help Chief Swan gather wood from the nearby woods for the backyard bonfire that was to happen later. He still enjoyed the time, though, because he got to spend it with Bella alone. They hadn't had much opportunity to spend time like that together for a while now and he cherished it; it had been like old times. He had almost forgotten how completely at ease he always felt in Bella's company. Even the most mundane things, like helping her chop veggies for the salad, was always fun when he and Bella were doing it together.

However, the time was short-lived, since Bella received that stupid phone call and now he found himself feeling a bit lonely and left out. He had asked Bella not to answer, but she felt she had to, in case it was someone calling about the party. Then that was it, all she wanted afterward was Demetri, and all her focus had been only on Demetri ever since he arrived. Was it too much to ask for them to include him a little?

Just then a car pulled up to the driveway and it was the Brandons dropping off Alice, Rosalie, Angela, and a new girl to the party. Charlie came and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Brandon before they were off again. Charlie went back inside to tend to the BBQ he was getting ready to grill and the other girls went to join Demetri and Bella.

Only the new girl ever really noticed Edward at his perch on the fence. He nodded in her direction, acknowledging her, and she blushed. Edward had never seen another girl blush quite that way at him, except for Bella. He found it cute and, actually, he found this new girl pretty and intriguing. He was anxious to meet her. Edward pushed off from the fence, ran his hand through his hair, and smoothed over his clothes. He wanted to make a good impression on the new girl. He may have been feeling lonely moments ago, but now he knew exactly how to salvage his night.

* * *

**END A/N:** I know it must be hard for everyone to hear about all these little relationships. My beta has asked me to end her pain soon. Just bear with me, we're working our way to them finally getting together. Patience is a virtue.

Up next, we're going to the Sing-Off, I think.


	9. Chapter 6 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Okay, so I've been away from updating this story for a long time. I apologize profusely! Believe me, this story is not neglected. I tend to write for this as much as I write for my other stories, it's just a matter of this story being more complicated than the other two, which makes me scrutinize more what I write for the chapters and thus, it takes me longer to produce an update that I'm satisfied with enough to present to all of you.

So, I had written this chapter a while ago and I had submitted it to my beta, then that's where we ran into a problem. My beta had gotten so busy that she didn't really have time to work on this for me, as other things in her full life took more of a priority, which I can completely understand and don't blame her at all for it. However, I couldn't wait any longer to get it back, because it meant that you, loyal readers, would be waiting even more and that just tore at me. I already felt sick about the length of time it had taken me to even produce this next chapter.

Therefore, I decided to just give you guys the chapter update, unbeta'ed. Hopefully, you readers don't find it completely atrocious, as I've tried to give you the best possible chapter, lacking in errors, as I could.

In order to finish out this story, it'll be handled this way from now on. I've gotten used to posting chapters for my other story,_ Alice's Playboy Brothers_, without my trusty beta and like how things are going with that and especially like not having to wait to get a chapter back before I could post. I am confident enough in my writing skills and the fact that readers have taken to my other story to know that I'm not going to be putting out utter garbage. I just hope that you readers are okay with this and can excuse the minor mistakes that are probably sure to appear every now and then.

The absolute good news about all of this is that I may have lost a beta, but I did gain the ability to post updates in a timelier fashion. JSYK, I do have other beta options and know about beta resources such as Project Team Beta, but I'd much rather finish up my current WIP's on my own and then start a relationship with PTB once I embark on new story projects.

So, I've said a mouthful. I'm sure, if anyone is still reading this, are anxious to get to the update. Away we go!

**THIS STORY IS BEHIND IN REVIEWS FROM MY OTHER WIP'S**

**MAYBE YOU CAN HELP IT CATCH UP!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Time Bella Sings Her Heart Out**

**Part 1**

_**May-Freshman year...**_

"I got it. I got it...finally," Jacob Black exclaimed as he strolled into the music room waving a piece of paper. He sounded excited.

Billy Black hobbled over to Jacob with his cane. His old knees were giving him trouble again, requiring him to take up use of the cane once more, much to his chagrin. Jacob gently guided his father to a nearby chair and made him sit down, causing Billy to scoff. Jacob just smiled then took a seat beside Billy before they looked over the paper.

Bella was busy flipping through songbooks, looking for singing selections that she could possibly sing at the Sing-Off. She looked up briefly at the two Mr. Blacks, but resumed her perusal as she saw the two men in deep conversation with one another. Rehearsal was on hold at the moment, so she could rest her voice.

With only a month away from the competition, they were down to the wire with choosing a set for Bella to be singing. She needed to have at least four different songs in her set to sing and another one that would be her showpiece song, if she garnered enough points to make it to the final round. While Bella was a bit worried about it all, the Blacks were not. They had a plan in place and wanted to compete smartly.

The Blacks had been waiting until they received the complete list of judges for the competition before making the final decision on the songs that Bella would be singing for her set, as they wanted to mold her set based on who the judges were going to be. It wasn't as if they weren't confident in Bella's talent; they just wanted the judges to have Bella be the one contestant ingrained in their minds after she sings, which would be more likely if they found her song choices the most appealing.

They also wanted to choose songs that weren't already going to be sung by another entrant. As often happened at these kind of competitions, some of the same songs were constantly being sung. The Blacks wanted Bella to stand apart from the rest. While there was no requirement to submit an entrant's song selections beforehand for the Sing-Off, many of the other high schools proudly boasted their entrants sets already made way in advance, so the Blacks were taking full advantage of having that knowledge as well and staying away from any song that is already being used.

They had every confidence that whatever set was chosen for Bella, even on such short notice, she would be able to pull off any variety of song selections. They had no doubt that with their sound competition strategy, Bella would be bringing home the trophy and prestige to FHS.

"Good. Let's have a look at this list," Billy Black said grabbing the paper from his son's hands.

"I don't recognize any of these peoples' names. Do you know anything about the names on the list?" Jacob inquired.

"I only know this guy here," Billy stated, pointing to a name. "He's been a long-standing judge at the competition. When Forks High last competed, he was a judge then. I know he's a big fan of the theater and loves Broadway songs. I heard he gives high points to any well-sung Broadway tune."

"Well, that's a good start. So, we'll look into some Broadway tunes. Those are always good choices to have in a repertoire anyway. It'll look impressive for Isabella. We will have to choose the right one for her though and figure out exactly where in her set the song should be placed," Jacob expressed.

"I've already thought of that. Above all else, it's very important that Isabella has diversity in her set. No matter what and who the judges are, she'll already be one step ahead of all her competition if we show everyone her range." Billy then stood and limped over to the laptop computer atop his desk. He clicked his mouse and pulled up a file, waving Jake to come over to take a look. He then continued, "I've narrowed down the list to these few Broadway possibilities. All of which would be excellent for Isabella to sing and she's more than capable to handle vocally. They aren't too difficult of pieces, but they're not run of the mill either."

Jacob looked over the list and his eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. "These are great selections, dad. Very appropriate. My only concern is will our piano player or the band be able to play any of them? And especially on such short notice? It's important for Isabella to have solid musical accompaniment as well."

"I'm perfectly aware of the capabilities of our school's musicians. They'll have no trouble with playing any of the selections on the list. They've all played them before at one time or another, which was another reason I chose these specific pieces. On that note, we need to make a selection quickly from these tunes, so that they can start practicing with Isabella. I'm pretty certain she will also need to learn whatever we've chosen, because I don't believe she'd be very familiar with any of this Broadway stuff."

"Well, I don't know about that. You'd be surprised at Isabella's musical knowledge," Jacob countered.

"Okay, fair enough. I'll go over the list with her now." Billy printed out the document to show Bella. "I'll see if there's anything she's quite familiar with and would be comfortable singing. We'll start from here then. You're very proficient with the computer, Jacob. Why don't you use your skills and see what you can find out about the rest of these judges? You can go Goggle them or something."

Jacob chuckled. "It's Google, dad, and I'm already on it. Oh, here." Jacob handed another piece of paper to his father. "Here's the song lists that are going to be sung by the other entrants. If you ask me, quite uninspiring and ordinary. They're all pretty lackluster. I would even dare say the songs are predictable. I mean how many times can the judges listen to, _Amazing Grace_, _Ave Maria_, or Whitney Houston's, _The Greatest Love Of All_. By now, almost every school have sung those standards at the competition."

Billy briefly scanned the list. "I agree. That's why we're staying away from those and any others that are on this list. While we're at it, go ahead and look up a couple of past song sets from the previous competitions also, and to save time, have one of the other students help you with that. We're going to want to stay away from the songs that have been frequently sung and are overdone."

"Well, if we eliminate those songs, that will certainly narrow down Isabella's choices. You don't think that we might be limiting her?"

"Certainly not. We're putting her in the best possible position to win by making wise song choices. I don't imagine any of the other coaching teams are as innovative as we are. They've gone with what's easy and what has worked in the past. You're right, that's boring. Why be boring? We're going to do new, exciting, and spectacular. Also, I want to go with the unexpected because by now everyone knows what Isabella is capable of. Everyone probably has their own ideas at what she would be singing already based on what she's sung in the past. They're thinking predictability. Instead, I want her to knock whomever is going to be in that auditorium socks off. Isabella is not only going to win because of her tremendous talent, but also because of her creativity in her song choices. I know the judges always give extra points for an entrant being imaginative with their set and putting on the best show."

A couple of hours later and hundreds of songs discarded for one reason or the next, Bella finally had her song set, plus the showpiece song she hoped she'd get a chance to sing. Overall, Bella was quite happy with the set and the choices that she helped to make. Each of the songs conveyed a message to the audience, which Bella felt was important. The songs in Bella's set inter-weaved with one another seamlessly into a nice concert program and the Blacks felt that they had made a winning set. It was going to be different than what the judges have ever seen before and the Blacks could only hope it was going to impress them. Of course, the worry was that it may have the opposite effect, being that the program is going to be deviating so far from the norm, but everyone involved in putting FHS program for the competition together refused to think negatively. Everyone was excited about the show they were going to put on and especially about Bella pulling off the vocal performance of her life.

Practice time after her songs were in place had Bella running through her song set, first singing each of her songs a capella. Not only did they want Bella to become comfortable with singing each of the songs, they also wanted to take the time to decide what types of musical accompaniment would work best with her performance of each song for the competition. Running through her set a capella also served the purpose that if anything were to happen to her musical accompaniments for any reason, Bella wouldn't need to rely on them in order to still put on her program.

After a few days of running through Bella's set a capella, the Blacks finally were ready to have her practice singing with the varying musical accompaniments they had chosen. They wanted to showcase Bella's voice and have the music be a background compliment to it and not have the music overpower her performance, which sometimes had the tendency to happen, and so they had picked the accompaniments accordingly. The Blacks had everything worked out and spent several nights penning the necessary musical arrangements which Bella's accompanying band was going to be using.

The following days of practice were used to get Bella comfortable singing her songs with her various musical accompaniments. Save for her showpiece song, which she was going to be accompanied by a sound track, the rest of the songs she was going to sing were going to have live accompaniment. She noticed that the Blacks had arranged the music to be a slow build, with instruments coming in piece by piece as she continued to sing. By the time she would get to her second to last song in the set, she'd have a full orchestral back up. Then the musical accompaniment would circle back to the opening verse and have her sing with just the piano as her musical background once more. It was an ambitious undertaking, but brilliant and a creative one, everyone thought. Much to Bella's surprise, both the school's band which had been turned into her orchestra and the choir were more than ready to give her the musical backup she needed.

To round out Bella's performance, Ms. Clearwater enlisted the aid of the AV club and they were supposedly going to be ready with a spectacular presentation to coincide with her singing, as well as handle all the lighting, effects, and optimizing the sound at the venue. There really wasn't any time to work alongside the club and approve their ideas, so Bella and her coaches were trusting that their help would further enhance Bella's performance instead of detract from it. They had her song set and the order they were going to be sang, and it was all in their hands now. Riley Biers, the club's president, gave his word that they were going to do their very best to compliment Bella's performance and the message she was trying to convey with what they can do and they promised that they would be ready before competition day so that they'd be able to do a run-through to make any tweaks before the time comes. Riley seemed confident that he and his group would do a great job. Bella could only cross her fingers that would be the case.

It was nice for Bella, though, to be working with someone new on this competition. Having Riley and his club on board was only going to be an added benefit for her competition performance. Bella was sure of that.

It was the first time Bella really got acquainted with Riley. She'd seen him around school and even knew that his mom was the local elementary school's nurse and that his dad was an officer that worked under her dad, but since they ran in different circles, they were never friendly with one another. As small as FHS, the various cliques still never really meshed.

Riley was quite smart and Bella was impressed with his technical and computer knowledge. He was also pretty cute to Bella and wasn't as geeky as she had originally prejudged. He was actually a very interesting to Bella and she was very glad to have made a new friend. Unbeknownst to Bella, Riley was rather glad to have gotten to know Bella too.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

The night before the competition, Bella called Edward, frantic. She was nervous about competition day and rambled on and on. He was quite amused.

"I really don't know why I agreed to this," Bella whined over the phone. "I can't...I can't go up there and sing for the school. I'm not ready. I need more time. Everyone is counting on me and I can't do it. I'm just not ready. This competition day has come on too fast."

"Of course, you're ready Bella," Edward said in his most soothing voice. "You've been practicing for months, readying your voice, and from what I hear you've got your song set down solid. Not to mention that those involved in the program has been saying that you're going to be putting on the most spectacular performance."

"Yeah, great. More pressure. Just what I need. They may think I'm ready, but I don't think so. I'm going to be no good, Edward," Bella whined.

"Oh, don't say that. You know you're going to be great. Like you always are. You're just nervous."

"Of course, I'm nervous. There's going to be so many people there. It's an audience bigger than I'd ever sang to before."

Edward interjected, "And they are all going to love you, especially the judges."*o*o*o*o*o*o

"Oh God, don't say that," Bella scolded. "You don't know that. What if I suck?"

"You'll never suck. You've got a God-given gift with your voice, Bella. I don't think you could ever sing badly even if you tried."

"You're only saying that cause you're my friend."

"No. It's the truth. Even if you didn't have months of preparation, you're still going to go out there and shine, because you have that much power in your voice."

"What if I freeze?" Bella questioned.

"You're not going to freeze. You've already had so much stage experience. You're an old hat at it by now."

"But there's going to be so many people out there, Edward."

"So what," Edward stated dismissively. "It won't be like you'll be seeing all of them out in the audience anyways when you're up there on that stage. Just pretend that you're just singing for the school. Cause I'll bet more than anything, you'd only be able to notice the first few rows of seats out in that auditorium anyways."

"Everyone in Forks is counting on me to bring that trophy home to the school. After all I've been through with the prank calls. It's too much," Bella stated her true feelings.

"Yeah, it is. I'm sorry about that," Edward said apologetically. "It is what it is, unfortunately. But, you shouldn't even think about it that way."

"I'm sorry I don't quite follow."

"Don't even think you're performing for a competition. Put that out of your mind right now. Don't make a big deal out of it. Just pretend that you're singing for any other ordinary performance. Bella, I know you. You always give your heart and soul and 110 percent with every performance you do. That'll be enough to win over the judges and you won't be so scared to perform," Edward explained. Then he continued, "You'll be great Bella, like always. But, you don't have to feel the pressure of trying to bring home that trophy. All you can do is give it your very best and I know that you will. If the judges don't see it, then they're idiots and have no business judging such a competition. It'll be a travesty if you don't win, but it won't be the end of the world. Life at FHS will go on. No one is going to love you any less because the stupid judges couldn't see a winner right in front of them. To everyone in town, you're already a star."

"Aww, you're so sweet," Bella gushed.

"Why thank you. It's a gift," Edward joked then chuckled.

"I'm not kidding, Edward. You've always been such a sweet guy...especially to me."

"Well, of course. You're my best friend," Edward answered back.

"How do you that?" Bella asked.

"Do what?" Edward questioned.

"Know exactly what to say to make me feel better."

"Is that what I just did?" Edward chuckled to himself again.

"Don't be coy. You know you always have a way of cheering me up when I need it the most. I knew it was a good idea to call you."

"Well, if that's your way of saying thanks, then you're welcome. But what about Demetri? I figured he was your resident go-to guy now whenever you needed someone to make you feel better. He's your boyfriend after all."

"He's...he's not the same as you," Bella said shyly, and even though Edward couldn't see her, she still blushed. "You always say just the right things and know just how to handle me when I come to you in all sorts of moods. Like now. You've really made me feel a lot better about things."

"All right...well, I'm glad you're feeling less nervous about tomorrow."

"You're going, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. My parents, brothers, and I will all be sitting at the very front of that auditorium with your dad."

"You know the school is renting out buses for any faculty and students that want to come and show their support but doesn't have a ride to Port Angeles. And, of course, they're giving rides to the school's orchestra, choir, and AV people too that need to be there and won't be able to make it to the Port Angeles Center on their own. Ms. Clearwater told me that a whole contingent of people from school and town are all planning to go and show their support. Isn't that crazy?"

"Well, I know all of us friends are going to be there for you. My dad has even taken a day off from the hospital so he can show his support. And, well, I'm sure you'll see a lot of familiar faces out in the audience. The town loves you for doing this and they love your singing and is why they are just as invested."

"Oh God! Don't say that. You're making feel nervous all over again," Bella whined.

"Oops...sorry," Edward said sincerely.

"I'm not ready," Bella stated plainly.

"Yes you are," Edward retorted. "This has been your life for a good several months. You're more than ready. You should be excited that tomorrow will be the day to unveil what you had been working on all this time. It'll be the fruit of all your labor come to fruition. I'm sure the music department sees it like that."

"I'd feel much better if I can get one last practice in before tomorrow."

"You don't need it." Edward dismissed her statement.

"Maybe not. But I'd certainly feel better if I had one." Bella paused, then an idea popped in her head. "Hey, it's not too late yet. Do you think your parents would mind if I came over for a bit?"

"Um, not that I would ever mind you visiting, but why? Don't you need to get some rest for tomorrow?"

"You can help me practice and help me to sleep better tonight."

"Oh yeah? Care to fill me in?"

"Well, I've got copies of all the sheet music to my song set and a copy of the CD for my showpiece song. You can help me practice one more time."

"Huh?" Edward still didn't quite understand what Bella was getting at.

"You can play the piano for me and I can practice. I'll sing all these nerves out of me before tomorrow. Just a couple of run-throughs. I promise I won't be there too long. Please? Pretty please?"

"Bella...I don't know. I'm not that good of a piano player. I dabble, but I probably can't be a proper substitute for the school's band."

"You're being modest. I've heard you play on occasion, remember? You can play well enough. I know you can handle this music. Give yourself some credit. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you could help me. C'mon. Please," Bella begged. "I could really use the practice to help me with my nerves and besides...it's been a long time since we've hung out together."

"The arrangement might be too hard for me to play. It's been a while and I'm probably rusty. I wanna help you practice, but I might just end up hindering you instead."

"No you won't. I have no doubt that you can play this. You may be rusty, but I'm sure the years of piano lessons haven't left you. C'mon...please do this for me?"

"Okay. Wait. Let me go ask if it'll be okay."

Edward put Bella on hold and went to ask his parents if it would be all right for Bella to come over and they could practice her songs for the competition. Carlisle and Esme didn't mind and was actually happy that Edward was actually going to play the piano and that they would be able to get a preview of Bella's performance for tomorrow's competition.

He ended up telling her it was okay to come over as long as she didn't mind his family as an audience and on the condition that she didn't stay that long, as she really needed to rest up for tomorrow's big day. Bella agreed and Charlie couldn't ignore her request for one last practice session.

Bella was over at Edward's house within a few minutes. Charlie could not keep her away and have her lose this chance to practice one final time before the competition began. He decided to stay and pal around with Carlisle while Bella and Edward practiced. This way he didn't have to come back later to take her home, and if he stayed, he'd assure that she didn't end up staying too long.

Bella handed Edward the music to look over and pulled him into his home's music room. Edward took one look at the music sheets and gasped audibly.

"Are you sure I can play all this stuff?" Edward looked incredulous.

"I know you can," Bella said matter-of-factly.

Edward just gaped at Bella. "Okay, I guess I can try. But don't blame me if I screw up."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. I've heard you play _Claire de Lune_ by Debussy and pieces by Mozart. Don't even try to deny it. I'm sure you can handle these arrangements," Bella affirmed.

"Well, I'm glad you have so much faith in me, but I have to confess that it's really been a long while since I played. I can't even remember the last time I played _Claire de Lune_."

"But I bet if I asked you to play it now, you'd probably be able to play it from memory. Playing piano is one of those things that never leaves you, like riding a bike. Like I said before, you may be rusty, but eventually you'll get the hang of it again."

"I guess you have a point. I suppose I could play if I tried," Edward conceded.

"Exactly," Bella said with a victorious smirk. "Well, I tell you what. You can fumble around with the keys and warm up, while I do my voice exercises to warm up my voice. That'll give you some time to get reacquainted with those keys."

"Okay, that sounds good. Hey, may I ask you something?" Edward asked, to which Bella nodded. "Didn't you say that you only needed at least four different songs for the competition and to have a showpiece song ready just in case?"

"Yeah, why?" Bella questioned.

"Well, aren't you and the Blacks an overachieving bunch. You're seriously going to do all this?"

"Oh that? Well, that was more my choice actually. I loved all those songs and they seemed to work well if put in a program together. Mr. Jacob is such an expert arranger of music. He managed to get it all ready. He combined the best parts of the songs and transitioned into each one seamlessly. It made for good flow and above all it sounded nice put together as it is. I personally think it's a great program. I like how it should speak to the people in the audience. So, it's not just that I'm going to be singing for the sake of singing, I'm gonna sing to hearts and minds of the audience. You get what I mean?" Edward understood.

"What about the time constraint?" Edward asked. "This looks to be a lot. Wouldn't you be over?"

"We thought of that. We arranged the entire set so some songs end up shortened, but still conveyed the message we wanted to send. There was no rule against doing that. My set, as you'll find, will be within the time limit. As long as you have at least four different songs in your set and you are within the time constraint, an entrant can actually sing as many songs as they want of varying lengths. The winner last year won with just by doing a complete medley of show tunes," Bella explained.

"If I may say so, the competition hasn't had a proper winner yet until they crown you champion." Edward really felt that way. He had seen numerous taping of past competitions and while the winners were talented, he still felt that they couldn't hold a candle to Bella's immense talent and the show that the music department had planned. Edward had heard great things although he had yet to see the program in its entirety.

Bella blushed at Edward's words. "Oh stop. You're biased. We'll just have to see what happens come competition time. Warm up now and I'm going to go drink some water and get my voice ready. Time is wasting. We both have to rest up for tomorrow." Then she walked off, leaving Edward to start playing around with the piano keys.

Bella returned a little while later, her voice thoroughly warmed up. Edward felt he was ready to play as well and together she and Edward ran through her music set. Edward actually could play better than he thought and Bella sang spectacularly as always. Bella sang so beautifully that Esme was actually driven to tears, and though they would never admit it, Carlisle and Charlie were a bit misty-eyed too. There was just a power in Bella's voice and she sung with such emotion. The messages in her song set could be heard loud and clear. She would not have any problem speaking to the hearts and minds of the audience.

After one more run through of the music and Bella sufficiently satisfied that she'd be ready for competition day tomorrow, Bella and Charlie said their goodbyes. It was time for Bella to go home and rest up for the competition, and more importantly rest up her voice. The Blacks didn't want her to practice the night before because they didn't want her to strain her vocal chords. The last thing that was needed was for Bella to get laryngitis. However, Bella really needed that last practice with Edward to feel confident about being ready for tomorrow. Luckily, her vocal chords felt just fine-no strain.

Edward gave Bella their standard high-five and parting hug. When he and Bella pulled apart, he cupped her face and said without conviction, "You're going to be great. The school will do their part and has complete faith in what you'll do. Everyone believes in you."

Bella nodded in thanks for the vote of confidence. She had been told those same exact words numerous times already; however, it meant more and rang truer when she heard it coming from her best friend, Edward.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

It was finally the day of the Sing-Off and Bella awoke to Charlie having burnt breakfast in the kitchen. He had tried to make Bella a nice, hearty breakfast as a surprise for her big day today, but failed miserably. Charlie was handy with the grill and he can cook fish like no other that Bella had seen, but her poor father couldn't cook something as simple as breakfast with toast, bacon, and eggs. She couldn't help but laugh. He had been too excited and couldn't mind the cooking. Bella appreciated the thought. Her father tried, but there was a reason Bella handled a majority of the cooking in the household.

They ended up grabbing breakfast from the local diner on the way to Port Angeles, where the Tri-County competition was going to be held this year. Charlie was jittery with excitement and a bundle of nerves, which was quite unusual for Charlie. He was just so elated that Bella was going to be a part of something as big as this Sing-Off and kept ranting on and on about it on the drive over. Bella had never seen her father so talkative before. Bella partially tuned him out and just stared out the window, willing her own nerves to settle.

When Charlie finally pulled up to the Port Angeles Convention Center, Bella thought that she might just lose her breakfast; however, she caught sight of Demetri and his grandmother already waiting out front for her. She couldn't help but smile. Demetri rushed over and helped Bella out of the car, then gave her a small peck on the lips.

Charlie took up talking to Demetri's grandmother and walked ahead, giving his daughter and her boyfriend some privacy. Demetri and Bella followed slowly behind.

"You're so early," Bella pointed out as they began to walk into the building hand-in-hand.

"Well, Grandma insisted. She wanted us to have some of the best seats in the house to watch you perform and she didn't want to have to fight with the rest of the crowd. She believes that she's going to reserve the whole first two rows just for your very own cheering section," Demetri said enthusiastically.

"My own cheering section, huh?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Me, grandma, your dad, Edward and his family, and the rest of our friends. We're all going to be here to support you and when you take that stage, we'll be cheering the loudest."

"Oh, you're grandma is so sweet. But, God, I'm going to be so embarrassed," Bella professed.

"Don't be. You deserve all the support. We're all excited for you, and personally, I can't wait to hear you sing and do well out there. I'm going to be such a proud boyfriend. Speaking of which, Edward told me that you practiced at his house last night. I'm a bit put off that you didn't invite me, especially since I haven't even heard your entire set yet."

"Edward? When did you talk to Edward?" Bella asked, confused.

"He and his family arrived at the same time Grandma and I did. I thought that was his family car I saw on the drive over. I guess Edward wanted him and his family to get good seats too. Grandma told the Cullens that she'll take care of everything. We can't have your biggest supporters separated. Actually, we were all a bit surprised that you hadn't arrived yet," Demetri explained.

"Ugghh...Charlie burnt breakfast in all of his excitement for today and so we had to stop by the diner for something to eat, or else we would've gotten here much earlier. Wow. I can't believe both you and Edward are here already."

"Of course, baby. We're your two best guys, right? It's part of our job description to be as supportive as we possibly can for our best gal," Demetri stated happily.

"I love that you have no problem with Edward being my best friend," Bella suddenly blurted.

"Well, to be honest, I would prefer that you have a girl as your best friend. But, since that's not the case, I just have to deal with it. I know that you and him have something special going and it's a bond that runs deep. I admit that I get jealous of it at times, but you two have history that I can't compete with. But I also know that you guys are just very good friends...it's clear, so I can't fault the guy. He's a nice guy and he helps me take care of you...that's a plus. I'm glad that you've had someone all this time that has been there for you. I know if you can't count on me, at least he'd be around. Besides, there's no way in hell I'm going to be losing you just because I can't hack you having a guy for a best friend."

"Aww, you're so sweet, " Bella gushed then pulled in Demetri for a kiss.

The two of them hadn't noticed Edward standing by the doorway to the auditorium, getting an eyeful of their public display. He turned his head so he wouldn't intrude. Only after Demetri and Bella broke away did they notice Edward standing there. Bella blushed, sure that her best friend saw her kissing her boyfriend. Why that bothered her, she really had no idea, but she just knew she couldn't stomach seeing Edward kiss other girls for some strange reason as well, and that was why she avoided it as much as possible. So, she figured if she felt uncomfortable, Edward must feel uncomfortable under the same circumstances.

"How long have you been there?" Demetri asked Edward.

"Oh, just got here. No worries. I saw Charlie walk in with your grandmother and knew you two were probably not far behind. I wanted to say hi and good luck to Bella before she's whisked away by her team and put in full competition mode. It'll probably be a while yet before we get her back," Edward said.

"Oh yeah...sure. I guess I should go in and help my grandma secure those seats. I'll give you two some time alone then," Demetri said as he was about to walk away into the auditorium. "I guess I'll see you later, baby."

Just then Riley came running from down the hall, halting to a quick stride when he reached Bella. He saw the two guys with her and made a face, which he tried to cover up quickly, not wanting anyone else to have noticed.

"You're here already, too. Gosh, did everyone else arrive before I did? Blame it on my dad." Bella muttered.

Riley hurriedly spoke, "Bella, good you're finally here. I don't mean to be taking you away, but Ms. Clearwater and the Blacks wanted me to come get you as soon as you've arrived. I'm to take you to your practice space. Ms. Clearwater's got everything ready for you there. Your friends, Alice and Rosalie, along with Mrs. Kline from the theater department, are waiting to get you all gussied up and the Blacks want to do one final run-through of your set, not necessarily a rehearsal because they want to spare your voice; however, they'd like to go over some things with you. I also wanted some time to show what I and the AV club have in store for your performance, just so there won't be any surprises to freak you out while you're out there. We didn't have time to do a proper run-through, but I did a computer mock up last night, so it could give you a good idea."

"Whoa, you're going to busy there, baby," Demetri commented.

Both Demetri and Edward looked over Riley up and down. They were both waiting for introductions and Bella didn't fail to notice their change in demeanor.

Bella made the introductions, "Gosh, where are my manners? Riley, you've probably seen Edward around school, but you probably don't know each other. He's my best friend and he was just coming to wish me luck before I'm otherwise preoccupied. And this is my boyfriend, Demetri. He doesn't go to FHS yet, but you've probably seen him around town. Guys, this is Riley, he's the school's AV club president and an absolute technical and computer genius. He got the tough job of making me look better out there today."

Riley waved and politely said, "Uh, nice to meet you guys."

"Same here," Edward answered back. "I've seen you around school. You're a junior, right? So, you're the guy that's responsible for all the cool special effects at the dances, that the movies work in classes, and making sure the assemblies go right."

"Well one of them, at least," Riley replied.

"That's pretty cool," Demetri interjected. "I'll have to check out your group's work when I enroll at FHS next school year. But, I doubt you can improve on the perfection that is my Bella up on stage." He smirked then placed his arm around Bella, suddenly feeling possessive of her. He didn't miss the way Riley looked at her.

"Uh, yeah, you're right actually...she's really great out there," Riley awkwardly said. "She gives me too much credit though. The club is just on board to enhance her performance. She doesn't need me or anyone else to make her look good. Um, she's got that taken care of all by herself. Bella is truly amazing...um, up there on stage," he ended up clarifying. Then Riley blushed right along with Bella.

After Riley's many compliments, Demetri stared Riley down and Bella looked between all the guys surrounding her. They seemed to be having some sort of silent showdown. She didn't exactly know what the hell was going on, but the atmosphere became quite uncomfortable.

Edward was the one who broke through the awkwardness first. He cleared his throat then moved to stand directly in front of Bella and faced her. He then spoke softly to Bella, but still loud enough for the other boys to hear, "I guess you need to get going. Like you said I just wanna wish you luck. Don't be nervous. You got this. Remember what I said last night, okay? You're going to be great out there and everyone believes in you. And, hey, even if you don't bring home that trophy...which, by the way, I don't see why not, but let's just say you don't...it doesn't matter. No one is going to love you any less. We're all still going to care about you the same way and still think you're immensely talented, okay. You'll always be a winner to me and the rest of us. Don't forget that."

Bella nodded and Edward finished his little pep talk to Bella by kissing her on the forehead. Both Demetri and Riley, this time, ended up making faces. Looks that neither Edward nor Bella noticed. Edward pulled away and smirked at her. Bella was a bit taken aback to say the least. He hadn't done that since they were little kids.

Demetri pushed Edward aside and it was his turn to give his own pep talk, "Of course, everything that Edward said is true. You're going to be great, sweetheart. You just go and do your thing out there and everything will fall into place all right. Like I told you, you're going to have a lot of people cheering for you. I'll just see you later when it's all done. You better go now. Looks like the Riley kid has his orders. Now, what is that they say...break a leg?"

"Thanks. That was sweet. I'll see you later," Bella said to Demetri.

To Edward she exclaimed, "You too. Give my regards to your mom, dad, and brothers and the rest of the gang. I guess I won't be able to see them until after I take the stage." Edward nodded.

Demetri then surprised Bella by pulling her in for a kiss. Both Riley and Edward had to look away.

"Later, baby. Remember, you'll find me in the front row, cheering for you the loudest," Demetri finished.

Pretty much in shock once more, Bella stammered, "Uh, okay. Thanks, babe. I better head over to my coaches." With that she gave a final wave to Demetri and Edward, grabbed Riley by the arm, and pulled him into the direction from which he came.

Edward and Demetri stood around the hall watching them go until they rounded a corner and were out of sight. They then entered the auditorium together.

On the way to their seats, which Mama Grace already had procured, Demetri commented to Edward, "Um, some pep talk you gave Bella. It was good. I think she needed that."

"Yeah, well, I knew she had to be nervous and stressing about winning this thing," Edward responded. "It's been all she's ever complained to me about the last few days."

Demetri then halted his steps and faced Edward. "Yeah. I'm glad you're there to calm her. But I've got something else to say, all right? I've got to let it out because it's going to bug me." Edward nodded for him to go ahead.

Then Demetri very deliberately said, "Listen...I don't really mind you and Bella being best friends. I get that you're special to one another since you've been kids. I like you. I really do. You're a nice guy and all. But I gotta say, if you ever kiss my girlfriend anywhere on her person again, I think I'm going to have to deck you. Do you understand?"

"Aww...don't be mad. It was just a friendly gesture. I used to do it all the time when we were younger." Edward told Demetri plainly, playing off the forehead kiss.

"I don't care what it was between the two of you. Fine, you did that when you were kids. Things are different now and I didn't like it. So just do me a favor, will ya? And just keep your lips off of Bella," Demetri reiterated again.

Edward snickered. "All right. Point taken," he said, rather irritated.

Charlie saw the two boys staring each other down a couple of rows up from the front row seats Demetri's grandmother, Mama Grace, secured. He decided to see if everything was okay.

He cleared his throat, and in his most official police chief voice, asked, "Is there a problem here, boys?"

Demetri smiled at Charlie and angelically said, "No...not at all, Chief. Just clearing up a misunderstanding." He then hurried over to where his grandmother sat.

Charlie wasn't yet convinced and took the opportunity to clarify things with Edward, "You sure everything is okay between you and Demetri?"

"Yeah, we're cool," Edward answered. "He was just staking his claim on his gal." Edward left it at that and went over to take his seat next to his parents and brothers. Charlie followed behind and overheard Edward mumbling to himself, "at least he didn't have anything to say about me hugging her."

Charlie didn't know the whole gist of what Edward was mumbling about, but he had a pretty good idea. He just chuckled a bit to himself. He knew sooner or later, Bella's boyfriend having a _misunderstanding_ with her best friend was bound to happened.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella looked on in amazement as Riley showed her the animated mock-up of her stage performance on his laptop and showed the enhancements that he and AV club had added for the performance. She was practically speechless watching the little computer generated version of herself moving about on Riley's screen. Riley captured her likeness really well and then his ideas to compliment her performance was absolutely remarkable.

"Jesus...Riley, this is all incredible," Bella delighted.

"Uh...the show enhancements or this mock-up?" Riley questioned, unsure which Bella was referring to.

"Both. The ideas you and the club came up with for my set are just...wow. I really have no words. I don't think I could have ever thought of any of it. You guys are so creative. The slide show is going to be so beautiful and yet it won't overpower or distract from my singing. You guys didn't go for the tacky smoke and flash that I thought would be your usual way to go."

"Why? Were you worried about that?" Riley asked, then chuckled a little to himself. "I'm hurt, Bella that you would think we'd head towards tacky as far as our contribution to your show. You underestimated us."

"Okay, I admit it. Just a little. All right, maybe a lot," Bella answered sheepishly. "Ms. Clearwater told me, though, that whatever you AV guys came up with that it would always be tasteful and we need not be worried. So, I trusted her, but I just didn't know. All I really knew of you guys were dances and assemblies. But, this...again, wow. It's more than tasteful. It's more than I could've ever hoped. I can't believe you guys managed all this on such short notice."

"Well, not really on so short of a notice. The music department informed us quite a while ago to be ready. They had known that they wanted our help with highlighting you for the competition. So, we'd been playing around with ideas for a time now. It's just that nothing was concrete until we'd seen you perform and you gave us your song set."

"And what about this mock-up? When did you have time to do all this? It looks complicated and like it took a lot of work?"

"Well, it took me most of last night. I got home from school yesterday and it kind of bugged me that we never got a chance to run through the work the club was going to do for today and tomorrow. It had all been rigged and ready back at school, but there was never any time given to show you. I finally brought up my concern to Ms. Clearwater yesterday and she pretty much dismissed it, telling me it would all work out and to just worry about getting everything ready here in Port Angeles for the competition. She said you'll be fine. It still nagged on my mind, though. I didn't want something happening like you becoming surprised and then stumble on your set. That wouldn't bode well for the school's chances in the competition. So, I thought I'd do something about it and went to my computer and fiddled with this mock-up. It turned out better than I thought. I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, Riley, you've outdone yourself. It's a lot of work you didn't have to do, but you did it for my benefit. Thank you so much," Bella told Riley and Riley blushed again.

"Uh, you're welcome. It's really nothing. I'm happy to be of use to the team," Riley responded back.

"Wait," Bella uttered. "You just said you'd be ready for tomorrow. Riley, we don't even know if I'm going to be good enough to get the school through to the final round and compete tomorrow."

"Believe me, Bella, you'll be more than good enough. You're a shoe-in to get FHS into the final round. I would even go as far as to say that you'll probably blow every other contestant away and it won't even have anything to do with the band, your back-up choir, or even the stuff us AV guys are gonna do. We're just there mainly to enhance the show for the audience and keep them entertained. I think you could just stand out there and sing in a capella, no one else but you, and as long as you sing your heart out like you always do, you'd get the school to the finals. It's really not about the rest of us. It's all about your voice. You've got an amazing one," Riley gushed and Bella's cheeks were tinged with crimson once more.

"Oh stop. You're just like Edward, Demetri, and everyone else telling me that I'm a surefire winner. I mean I appreciate the votes of confidence, but really, we never know with these things. I would hate to disappoint everybody."

"Bella, you stop. Everyone in the entire Tri-County area knows that you're the front-runner for the trophy. The judges would be certifiable if they didn't automatically have you in the finals already. You won't disappoint anybody. I think the whole of Forks is already so proud you've even got us here. The townsfolk are going to be blown away when they see the damn good show our little podunk high school can do. I've been to the rehearsals, Bella. With your voice and the work the entire team has put into the performance, well, we're going to be hard to beat."

"Okay...again, thank you for your support. I appreciate the help from everyone and especially the work you and your guys have put in. But, can we not talk about me being a shoe-in anymore? You're just riling up my nerves. Let's get through today and I'll worry about tomorrow later. At least, we're prepared for it if it does happen."

"Don't be nervous Bella. I told you, I've been to rehearsals. If anyone's got this, it's you."

Bella smiled and then her face got very serious, "Geez, Riley, I feel kind of bad for you."

"Why?" Riley asked.

"You probably spent all night working on this wonderful mock-up just for my benefit and now you've been here early. Did you get any sleep at all? You must be tired. I appreciate all the work, but I don't want it to be at your detriment."

"I got a little sleep," Riley admitted. "I did spend a lot of time working on this mock-up last night and it was my choice to get in here early and make sure I'm familiar with their equipment and their systems so that everything will run smoothly today. I didn't want to run into any unexpected technical problems while you do your set."

"But what about the other AV guys? Couldn't they have helped you so you would've gotten more rest?" Bella asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, really. I can always sleep in later. No biggie. I've pulled off worse nights than last night. Thanks for your concern, but its not needed. I'm good. The rest of the guys will be here to help run things once the show starts and they each know of their assignments. I'm just a nut and want to be thorough. It's my nature, especially since I'm heading up the AV team. I think I feel better if I'm the one that gives my guys the rundown of the ways here instead of having them trying to figure it all out on their own or have someone else do it. The club has our methods. I know it doesn't have to be this way and I really don't need to shoulder so much responsibility, but I feel I have to. I just don't want anything to go wrong for you, you know."

"Aww...that's so nice of you. Thank you for everything you're doing...for all you've done," Bella said gratefully and then hugged Riley, taking both of them by surprise.

Riley returned Bella's embrace and then quietly said, "You're very welcome. I'm happy to help...you...and be a part of this."

They pulled apart and locked eyes briefly. Suddenly, the air around them seemed to have changed. It seemed to cackle with an electricity that Bella hadn't felt before.

"Uh...um...I should go and check if the other guys are here yet and get things prepped. I'm glad you like what we're gonna do. I'll have to, um, just see you later...before you go on," Riley stammered out. He then promptly stood up, shut his laptop, and walked out of the room quickly.

"Um...okay...later," Bella began to utter to Riley's retreating form, but he left so briskly that she knew he wouldn't have heard her.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella was going to be performing last in the order of competitors, since that was the slot that Forks High drew. She audibly groaned causing her coaching team to scoff at her. Obviously, they were happy to have drawn that spot. She, on the other hand, was more than ready to get her performance over with.

She didn't want to have to wait nearly half a day while the other high schools performed their programs and had their chance to wow the judges before she even had the opportunity to set foot on stage. What if they'd already picked their favorites and she would be performing for nothing? She had to shake those awful thoughts from her head.

Another reason she'd rather not be last, she didn't know if her nerves, with as frayed as they were, would not get the best of her before the day was through. The last thing she needed was to develop stage fright right before she was to go on.

Performing last also meant that she would not be able to see the other competitors performances. She had wanted to see what the competition was like. She guessed she'd just have to view a taping of the show later.

Bella would also not get a chance to join her family and friends until this first day of the competition was done. This was the most annoying thing about going last. She didn't want to be away from them for so long. She wanted to give the person who thought it would be a great idea to sequester all the entrants a piece of her mind. It wasn't as though she felt that she'd need the constant assurance and encouragement from her gang of supporters, she knew that they had already given her plenty to last her the wait. It was just that she felt if she could be with them, as well as see what the other schools were doing, her nerves would be kept at bay.

It wasn't as if Bella had a choice, though. She needed to just grin and bear it.

Bella stayed in her assigned practice room for the majority of her wait, only moving to the backstage area when her turn to perform drew closer. She spent some of that time practicing as she should, making sure she remembered all the lyrics to the songs she was going to sing and all the music cues from her accompanying band. She also went over in her head her stage cues and the specific points in her performance where other things would be happening, like dancers coming out to add to the presentation, the light changes, and basically everything that Riley had shown her on his mock-up so that she knew not to be surprised when they happened. Bella's coaching team felt that she had the program down solid and left her alone midway through her wait time to make sure the band, choir, and background performers were just as ready as Bella as well.

Bella envisioned how she wanted everything to go out there on stage, and she could only pray that her visualization would come true. She realized she was going to be as ready as she'll ever could be to take that stage and sing her heart out in hopes of bringing that winning trophy back to FHS.

The rest of her wait consisted of her mind not on the competition at all, but distracted by thoughts of Demetri, Edward, and especially Riley. Earlier, things had gotten weird between Riley and her. She felt that they needed to talk about that, but just hadn't had the chance yet.

Mrs. Kline came back to the practice room to do minor touch-ups on her hair and reapply make-up when they were notified that FHS was up next. She gushed at Bella for how beautiful she looked and her musical coaches beamed with pride. They all gave her a few, quick reminders and words of encouragement and then there she was at the side of the stage ready to take her place in front of it. The curtain was drawn and she saw her school's band setting up and the crew readying the stage for Forks High's performance. She said a silent prayer up to the heavens then to help her not let her school down.

All this time that she had been waiting for her turn to perform, Bella had been looking to see Riley again. However, ever since he'd left abruptly after their earlier conversation, after showing her his mock-up, he was nowhere to be found. She was admittedly a bit disappointed. She wanted to thank him again and relay her thanks to his club for all their hard work. She'd also hoped she'd had someone to talk to backstage. Everyone else was busy doing one thing or another and she hadn't felt right to intrude on them.

Just then she caught sight of Riley on the opposite side of the stage, looking very official with his computer set up and his headset on. She waved to him and he waved back and smiled weakly before he went back to looking at his laptop. She knew that look. He was purposefully avoiding her and she wondered what was the matter. Actually, she knew what was the matter, he probably felt just as awkward as she did about what happened between them earlier.

She was about to walk over to the other side of the stage towards Riley to see if they could talk later when one of the band members, Chris, came running up to the Blacks and Mrs. Clearwater looking frantic. There was definitely panic in his eyes and Bella had to see what was going on. Talking to Riley was going to have to wait.

"It's bad! Really bad."

"And you tried everything you could to calm him down?" Jacob Black inquired.

"Yeah," Chris stated adamantly. "But, he just said that he was starting to feel more and more sick. He started throwing up and he looks really green."

"Who's with him now?" Mrs. Clearwater inquired.

"Some of the rest of the guys in the band. We thought we should let you guys know, so I immediately came to tell you all."

"All right you two go check in on Josh in the men's room," Mrs. Clearwater ordered the Blacks. I'll go get Dr. Cullen. I saw him out in the audience. "

"Is everything all right?" Isabella asked as she approached. "I heard something about getting Dr. Cullen."

The Blacks ran off with Chris, leaving Mrs. Clearwater behind to explain. "Nothing you really need to worry about Isabella. We just have a little situation. It seems our piano player, Josh, got overly nervous with our turn on stage soon and he started having an anxiety attack in the bathroom. He's a little sick. I think he should start feeling better soon and I just want Dr. Cullen to look at him just as a precaution," Mrs. Clearwater explained calmly.

"Oh my God. Will he still be able to play?"

"Let's hope so. He's quite important for the performance. I suppose that's why he got too nervous and became sick. I'm going to talk to Dr. Cullen. Why don't you check on any word on his condition and pray that he's all right," Mrs. Clearwater urged as she began to descend the stage stairs leading out into the auditorium. "I believe he's just in the Men's Room just down the hall in the back," she called out before disappearing.

Bella nodded and headed towards the restroom Mrs. Clearwater indicated. On the way, she kept chanting to herself, "Please be okay. Please be okay."

She got to the restroom, knocked, then called out, "Hello. It's me, Bella. Mrs. Clearwater is on her way with Dr. Cullen. How is Josh?"

The distinct voice of Billy Black boomed through the door, "Don't come in Bella. A young lady such as yourself shouldn't see this. Frankly, I'm a bit turned off myself. Mrs. Clearwater needs to hurry with Dr. Cullen, I doubt this boy is just struck with the case of the jitters. Not with him being like this."

"Uh, okay," Bella croaked. That didn't sound good. This was the last thing she and the school needed. Inside, her panic was starting to bubble up to the surface and she felt as though she could cry.

Just then Mrs. Clearwater strolled up with Dr. Cullen. He was carrying his doctor's bag. He immediately ran into the restroom to tend to the sick boy.

"From the look on your face, it doesn't seem all is well," Mrs. Clearwater said.

"No, it's not. Mr. Billy said that from the looks of things, Josh is really sick and it has to be more than stage fright."

"Oh my. We're on in five. The stage set-up is done. We can't afford to start late and I'd hate to forfeit on account of us now lacking a piano player," Mrs. Clearwater said worriedly. She knocked on the restroom door, announced she was coming in to take a look at things, then disappeared inside.

Riley appeared then, asking, "What's the matter? I heard there was a problem."

"It's awful, Riley," Bella began. "Josh, our piano player is sick. Like really sick. We don't think he'll be able to play. It's trouble. He's integral to our show. And what are we going to do? We may have to forfeit if we're not out there starting the performance in five minutes."

Bella sounded quite distraught and Riley couldn't help but pull her into a hug. Bella willingly accepted his embrace "We'll figure out something. You've worked so hard to not have your time on stage and the chance to impress those judges," Riley said, trying to soothe Bella's panic.

Two paramedics wheeling a stretcher came racing down the corridor, as the restroom started emptying of the other kids inside. Riley and Bella quickly broke their embrace before anyone noticed.

"What's happening?" Riley posed the question to no one in particular

A guy in the horns section, Max, responded, "Oh man, Josh was puking his guts out and we all thought he was just nervous you know. But, he got all pale, then he started hyperventilating, and complained about having a hard time breathing. We still didn't really think much of it, you know. Just that it was an extreme form of performance anxiety. Josh always gets ultra nervous before the band ever does anything, even playing at the football games. We knew something was serious when he passed out just as Dr. Cullen got there. So, he called the paramedics. Dr. Cullen doesn't know exactly what's wrong with Josh; he's going to need to run tests. But, they're taking him to the hospital. Mrs. Clearwater is all in a frenzy cause we need Josh. His piano playing is the backbone of the music."

"Oh God! Oh no! This can't be happening," Bella exclaimed just as Josh was being wheeled out of the restroom on the stretcher really looking worse for the wear. Dr. Cullen was alongside.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I guess I won't be able to watch you perform after all. I need to get Josh here checked out. Thanks, though, for the practice run last night. At least, I got some idea. If you guys do get up on there on stage...oh, what is it that they say? Oh, break a leg. See you, I'll call Esme from the ambulance," Dr. Cullen hurriedly said before he raced out of the venue to the awaiting ambulance.

"What are we going to do?" Mrs. Clearwater groaned as she came out of the restroom. "We're down a piano player. The show can't do without him and we need to go on in like two minutes."

"Well, if I could play the piano, I'd step in. Unfortunately, I can't. I'm sorry," Riley chimed in, looking only at a distraught Bella.

All of a sudden, Bella's face lit up and she formed a smile. She just got a brilliant idea.

"You may not play, Riley, but I know someone who does and can take over easily," Bella announced happily.

"Who?" Riley, the Blacks, and Mrs. Clearwater asked in unison.

"Edward...uh, Cullen," Bella stated.

"Are you sure, Isabella? He may dabble at piano playing, but it'll be difficult to step into Josh's place. He can't possibly learn his parts within these two minutes," Jacob expressed with concern.

"No...no, I know he can play our program. And Josh's music notes will help him to know his parts."

"How could you be so certain, Bella?" Riley asked.

"Because he helped me practice last night. He played for me and sounded great. Look, we're wasting time. If we still want to compete, we need him. I see him as our only option. You will all just have to trust me."

"But, even if he can play, there's still the matter of whether he will do it. It'll be overwhelming to just be thrown into the program like this," Billy voiced.

"He'll do it for me," Bella said shyly and with her cheeks flaming. Why exactly she was blushing, she had no idea.

"Okay, go get him. We don't have time to debate this. If you say he's our only hope of not forfeiting, then we're going to have to trust you. So, go...find him. Hurry! We'll get everyone in place," Mrs. Clearwater said.

Bella nodded and ran off to fetch Edward in the audience. Meanwhile, the three teachers and Riley made sure everyone else was ready to go on in a minute.

Bella found Edward in the front row as expected, chatting with his brothers to pass time away during the intermission. She approached him with determination.

"Bella? What's going here? Don't you have to go on?" Her father piped up, suddenly concerned.

"Woohoo, Bella. Look at you. You're a stunner," Emmett called out, eliciting a glare from both Charlie and Demetri. He sheepishly cowered lower into his seat.

"No time to explain right now. I just need Edward," Bella said hurriedly." To Edward she asked, "Can you come with me please?"

"Uh, okay. But why?" Edward was confused.

"I'll explain on the way. Let's go. We need to hurry," Bella urged and grabbed his arm to pull him along faster.

Bella explained about how Josh got sick and Edward's dad took him to the hospital. They reached the backstage area and she dragged him to the piano already in place. She could see that the rest of the participants had already taken their places.

"You're now going to be my much needed piano player. Josh has his parts on his music notes. You're a smart guy, I'm sure you'll be able to follow along. We got no choice; otherwise, we'll have to forfeit. There's just no time. We have less than a minute. So, welcome to FHS Sing-Off program," Bella said with a pleading smile.

"Uh...uh, okay here goes nothing, but if we lose, I don't want anyone to say it's on account of me."

"I won't let them, I promise," Bella assured. She gave Edward's shoulder a squeeze in gratitude and went to take her place.

The lights went low and Edward turned on the little reading light to be able to see the music set upon the piano. He saw Billy Black take his place in front of the band, now turned orchestra, to start directing. Billy gave Edward a smile of encouragement. With a raise of his arm, he directed Edward to begin. Edward summoned all of his courage and the memory of playing last night for Bella and effortlessly began playing the keys.

The intro to the _"Mahogany Theme Song, Do You Know" _started. The curtain drew up and there was thunderous applause. Bella found her place out on stage. Before she began to sing, Bella stole a glance across to the side-stage in Riley's direction. He caught her eye, gave her a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. It was all Bella needed to muster up her confidence and the zone she got into when she began to sing.

The applause died down as the audience quieted. Bella took a deep breath and then right on cue began to belt out the words.

She put all of her heart and soul into singing the lyrics. The emotion that can be heard within every note from her voice came easily since Bella absolutely loved her program. Her songs all had a message to give and for each negative issue she sang about there was a positive counter. She raised social consciousness, as with the song _"Paraiso"_, which spotlighted poverty around the world and stressed every one's need to help those less fortunate. She also raised personal consciousness with songs like _"Reflection"_, encouraging others to remain true to themselves, and _"Believe"_, telling them to have belief and confidence in themselves and who they are. The overall underlying theme to her program and the set of songs was the power of love. She expressed to her audience that they needed to love themselves, love others, love the world around them, and spread their love cause the world would be a much better place.

The audience remained eerily silent as Bella transitioned seamlessly through the songs in her set. Bella didn't know if that was good or not, but she soldiered on. The audience just seemed enraptured by Bella's singing and entranced by the expressive messages being sent through each song. Bella literally reached out to every single person that was watching her on stage.

The music culminated with Bella singing the last chorus of Bella and the audience was already on their feet, applauding, hooting, and hollering, and it wasn't only Bella's supporters. Bella had one last part of her set, and she hoped the noise wouldn't drown out her parting verse. She had altered the words slightly to "Do You Know" and it seemed to be a perfect closing for her set.

Only Edward playing the last few notes could be heard as the lights went low once more. Before being enshrouded in darkness, Bella quietly finished her program.

_So, do you know where you're going to?_

_Do you know what you're going to do?_

She stepped back from the front of the stage to thunderous applause. The noise in the auditorium at this point was deafening.

The lights went up and Bella and the entire FHS band and the rest of the participants in the school's program came on stage and made their final bow. Bella had a huge smile on her face.

As the curtain drew closed, Bella couldn't believe the high she felt from having completed her performance. The sound of approval furthered her high. She didn't know if any of the other competitors received such a response, but she felt validated that she had done the best job she could with her performance. She couldn't believe that she received a standing ovation and such applause. She had the most amazing feeling.

Bella immediately ran to Edward and he scooped her up in his arms as he stepped away from the piano. He also had a huge smile on his face.

"You did amazing," Bella complimented Edward. "I knew you could do it. I knew you could step into Josh's shoes. And, I felt better knowing that you were right there with me on stage."

"Well, thanks. I'm glad I didn't screw up. I just knew I needed to play perfectly for you. You were more than amazing out there Bella. There aren't any words that could possibly describe accurately how great your performance was. Do you hear that? All that is for you."

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the audience is just happy that all the performances are done. It's been a long day for them...for everyone."

"No...Bella. That's all for you. Don't be so humble. You forget that I'd been sitting in that audience until not too long ago. Trust me, while the other contestants got applause, it was nothing compared to that. The audience erupted. You did that."

Riley came running over then to Edward and Bella and cleared his throat. Again, Bella didn't know what provoked her blushing, but as soon as she saw him, her cheeks were crimson.

"I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to congratulate Bella on a job well done. Bella, you were more than amazing out there," Riley gushed.

"I told her the exact same thing," Edward added.

"And the audience feels the same. Look at the response you got. They were blown away," Riley pointed out.

"Well, the audience may have been impressed, but it's the judges I'm worried about. They were the ones I needed to blow away. Hopefully I did enough and wasn't over the top, so the school could make it to the next round. The judges don't go by audience reaction."

"Are you kidding?" Bothy Riley and Edward said in unison, then looked at Bella incredulously. "Shoe-in!" They said again at the same time.

Before Bella could respond, she was swept up in more congratulations, words of well-wishes, and thanks for giving such a great performance in honor of the school. Bella never felt such adoration in her life. The attention was a bit overwhelming.

Bella's coaching team was so excited. They were telling Bella that she exceeded even their own expectations for a wonderful performance. Bella didn't think she'd ever seen her teachers bounce with joy like she had. They were reveling in the audience's reaction.

Everyone cleared the stage and Bella was able to rejoin her dad and friends out in the audience. Of course, there were more accolades and her father beamed with pride.

Demetri was relishing being the boyfriend of who he deemed as a star in Bella. His beaming smile full of pride could probably have been seen throughout the large room.

Now, they all waited for the judges' decision. They were currently sequestered in a room making their deliberations.

The anticipation was just about killing Bella. Would she go on to sing another day? She refused to believe that just because she was popular with the audience that she was automatically in the judges' sights. You just never knew with these kinds of competitions.

The one thing that drove Bella crazy was that no one knew how the judges reacted to her performance. They were situated too far for her to see from the stage. Everyone else were caught up in the uproarious audience response that they failed to check if the judges even had smiles on their faces after Bella concluded her performance.

So, Bella was nervous. But she supposed she was just about as nervous as the other entrants in the competition.

Or maybe not? She looked around the vast room at the faces of other competitors and all she kept finding were serene, calm, even excited looks, while she figured her face kind of looked like she was about to become sick. She couldn't imagine why everyone else were looking cool and confident, while she was a nervous wreck. They couldn't all believe that they'd be chosen for the next round of the competition. There were seventeen high schools competing this year competing for the Tri-County area Sing-Off trophy, but only five high schools' entrants would be promoted to the final round of competition to sing their showpiece song and for the chance at that trophy.

Bella knew the announcement of which schools were going forward would leave many others who hadn't made it disappointed. She could only hope that she wasn't going to be a part of that crowd.

The announcer for the competition walked up on stage, along with the judges, signaling that the wait was over. The judges had made their decision as to which five schools were going forward in the competition.

The vast auditorium fell silent again as the audience anticipated the announcements. Bella gripped both her dad and Demetri's hands tightly as she waited for her name and FHS to be called. Edward put a steadying hand on her shoulder to further calm Bella and show his own support. The rest of Bella's contingent crossed their fingers or were waiting with baited breath to hear their number one gal's name.

There were five judges in all and each of the judges were thanked personally for their time and their value to the competition. Then it was time for each judge to announce a school that was going to be heard again tomorrow.

The first judge announced the La Push Reservation High School and their school's Quileute Tribal Choir. Their area of supporters erupted. Bella noticed that their team of coaches gave self-satisfied looks to both the Blacks as they passed them on their way to the stage. That annoyed Bella somewhat and she'd have loved nothing more to throw those looks back at them when she and FHS were called into the next round. That was if she was called.

Three more names and corresponding schools were announced, none of which were FHS and Bella. Bella's shoulders began to slump in disappointment. However, while she was losing hope that she'd made it into the finals round, her contingent refused to give up faith that she would be the last name called.

"They're saving the best for last, baby. You'll be next, we all know it," Demetri whispered in her ear. Bella just nodded.

She wasn't so sure that was going to be the outcome. The audience had loved her, but they weren't the ones voting her into the finals of the competition.

The last judge took the mic, ready to announce the final pick making it into the next round. Bella recognized him as the judge the Blacks said was partial to Broadway tunes. He chose to prolong the anticipation by babbling about how the judges came to their decision and the particular qualities they found in this final choice that they were putting through to the next round.

For Bella, this prolonged wait to hear the final name was agony. She could no longer look upon the stage. She shut her eyes and gripped her dad and Demetri's hands tighter. Inside of her was a flurry of butterflies fluttering about, waiting with much anticipation.

"So, without further ado, our last entrant and school going to tomorrow's Showpiece round is...," the judge boomed and a drum roll sounded from out of nowhere.

* * *

**END A/N:** Oooh...sorry about the cliffie. I just couldn't help myself. There's a good reason this chapter is again going to be two parts-I felt it was simply too long and droned out, so it's paced a bit better, in my opinion, this way.

A little suspense never hurt anyone. But c'mon...I'm sure you guys already know how this will all end.

Just a little note on the songs that Bella sang for the competition—I've already sprinkled mention of some of the songs she sang for the competition within the chapter. Some of you may know them, some of you may not. I won't go into further detail, frankly because I'm lazy, but if you want more information on those songs, then by all means ask me and I'd be happy to give it to you. I've purposely left holes in her complete song list just so you readers can use your imaginations and can insert some of your own favorite Broadway songs or other favorite musical choices and visualize her singing them during her performance.

BTW, don't feel unhappy for me for parting ways with my beta. We parted amicably. There were no hard feelings and we're still great friends. RL has gotten busy for her and there were way too many other important things for her to care about over this little hobby of mine—there just wasn't any more time of hers left to give to me. It happens and it's perfectly understandable. I'm still grateful for all that she's done for me as my beta up to this point.

But, this is my main reason for not taking on another friend as a beta, although I have the option to. You just never know what RL holds and I'm going to need a more consistent beta. For now, it's going to be left up to me. Later, PTB, from what I've discerned, will be able to fulfill my needs once I start my new stories. So, there's the end and positive light to this whole situation.

Okay, I know I've talked enough and my author's notes are probably as long as my chapter. Sorry, it was warranted. But, I'll stop my babbling, I promise, from now on and just keep talk to a minimum.

Lastly, a teaser...

_Edward and Demetri watched Bella dance briefly with Riley with their mouths agape. Both of them could definitely see a connection there, and it was a connection neither one of them were happy to have noticed._


	10. Chapter 6 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **I can apologize till the cows come home for the long delay in updating. I'm very sorry. I never mean to take so long in posting updates, but RL can really get in the way. Believe me, I get so mad at myself for not being able to write and post an update. But, as much as I wish I could just sit, write, and post updates up the wazee daily and do nothing but that, unfortunately, I can't. Such is just the way of my life.

But, here's the long-awaited chapter. Thanks for your patience. I appreciate the continued support. For all those just discovering the story-welcome.

Again, thanks to all who has put the story on alert or added it on their Favorites list, as well as many thanks to those whom have added me to their Author alerts or has Favorite'd me as an author.

I've got a couple more things to finish up on Ch. 7, but it should post within the next couple of days. I had to finish writing on another obligation first.

The mistakes are all mine-please excuse them. Hopefully, there aren't any or too many heinous errors.

**REVIEWS MEAN THE WORLD TO ME**

**PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING ONE**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Time Bella Sings Her Heart Out**

**Part 2**

"So, without further ado, our last entrant and school going to tomorrow's Showpiece round is...," the judge boomed and a drum roll sounded from out of nowhere.

The drum roll ended and the judge continued enthusiastically, "Let's welcome into the final round, Isabella Swan and Forks High School!"

The auditorium erupted in cheers and applause. All of Bella's supporters were on their feet.

Bella still sat there with her eyes closed. She was afraid to open them. She was afraid that if she did open them, she'd realize that it was only a dream that her name just got announced.

"Well, darling, what are you waiting for? Go on up there and stand with the rest of the finalists," Bella heard her father say and that was when she opened her eyes.

"I did it?" She asked to no one in particular.

"Was there ever a doubt? You were terrific. We told you they saved the best for last," Demetri answered her.

"Go on honey, they're waiting for you up there," Charlie told Bella.

It wasn't a dream after all. She really did hear her name and she really had propelled her school into the final round of the competition. She looked up on stage to see the beaming faces of both Mr. Blacks and Ms. Clearwater. They were all urging her to come up on stage now and join them.

Bella's legs were unsteady as she stood from her seat. She was overwhelmed and didn't know how she'd make it up to the stage now without falling flat on her ass and embarrassing herself in front of an auditorium full of people. Fortunately, Edward understood her hesitation right away, and was there to escort her up to the stage.

As soon as Bella made it on the stage, the judge gave her a beaming smile and shook her hand. Mrs. Clearwater gave Bella an enthusiastic hug once she had reached her. Bella stood there with the rest of the finalists and looked out into the adoring crowd. She had never noticed earlier, but it seemed there was a large contingent from Forks that came out to support her and the school, and they were now all hooting and hollering, waving their FHS signs, and frenziedly applauding. In fact, the applause inside the auditorium was near deafening. It had become so loud that Bella could hardly even hear herself think. But, she enjoyed ever single second.

Bella glanced around and took it all in, and she couldn't remember when was the last time she had ever felt such satisfaction from being up there on display in front of the crowd. She received a surprising high and actually liked all the attention she was receiving in that moment.

After a flood of congratulations, Bella was finally able to leave the auditorium. It was time for Bella and her family and friends to go out and celebrate. Bella left the auditorium unable to wipe the biggest smile off of her face. She had never felt as happy nor as proud.

Of course, she did have one more round of the competition to get through, but for the time being, Bella did not want to think about that. She just wanted to enjoy getting her school into the finals, a feat that hadn't been accomplished for several years.

Charlie, in anticipation of Bella making it to the finals of the Sing-Off, had already reserved the private dining room at Bella's favorite restaurant in Port Angeles, _Bella Italia_, and there he treated Bella, her friends, and their families to a scrumptious Italian dinner. It was really more than Bella had needed and she knew that it cost her father a pretty penny to have this celebration for her; however, Charlie didn't mind at all splurging for his daughter. Carlisle was even able to join the group at the restaurant after getting Josh admitted to the hospital for a severe case of food poisoning.

Charlie knew that if (and in his mind it was actually when) Bella brought home the Sing-Off trophy for Forks High School, the school in conjunction with the town council already planned a celebration for Bella, unbeknownst to her. This little celebration was his way of personally celebrating his daughter's achievement.

Naturally, the celebration didn't last too long after dinner, as Bella needed to get home and rest up for the next big day of competition. Unfortunately, she was unable to sleep well because of all the excitement she felt. Bella found herself talking to Edward into the wee hours of the evening about the events of the day and her hopes for the next day's competition.

Bella found herself groaning the next morning when Charlie came to wake her bright and early to start off their day. The competition finals weren't until that evening, but Bella needed to meet with hear coaching team, practice her final song, and have a run-through of her performance for the evening's competition. There was a long day ahead of her.

In the months before the competition, when Bella's team was preparing her program, they had wanted to get Bella noticed if the case were that she made it to the final round. Understandably, the team wanted FHS to stand out from the rest of the other competing high schools. Collectively, they had decided to think outside of the normal competition box and picked a radically different showpiece song, _Holiday_ by Madonna, for Bella to sing. Bella and her team also did something creative to the song by using a special arrangement of the music, incorporating a little of Kool and the Gang's _Celebration _song.

The song overall was light, easy-going, fun-filled, and upbeat-not normally the type of song finalists for the competition would pick as their final song to sing. It was exactly why Bella's team chose it.

Not only would the song showcase Bella's vocal range, but with the FHS band behind her and a team of other performers, FHS planned to make an indubitable impression on the judges and the competition as a whole. Admittedly, it was going to be a huge risk that FHS was taking, going this route for their final impression, but Bella and her team hoped that their risk would pay off big.

Bella's finale was going to be dramatically different than any of the other finalists. It was going to be up to Bella to sell her performance and make the judges love what she had done, even if it was a risky program, a task that the Blacks and Mrs. Clearwater were confident that Bella would have no problem doing.

Bella is a naturally gifted singer, and the Blacks and Mrs. Clearwater had seen and heard their fair share of great voices; however, there was something that made Bella stand out from all the rest of the singers that they knew of. It was one of the primary reasons, the music team had chosen Bella specifically for the competition.

She was different when she was singing to an audience. There was something extra special about Isabella Swan when she was out there performing on stage. She always managed to transform herself into whatever the song required her to be, whether it be a classical diva, a sultry seductress, a woman scorned, or even just a fun-loving teenage girl; Bella embodied the point-of-view of the song. She made connections to the songs she sang like no other the Blacks nor Mrs. Clearwater had seen.

No matter how Bella did in the final competition, the Forks High music department was already proud of her. She had single-handedly restored FHS's music prominence in the Tri-County area just by getting the school the finals. The team knew that Bella will forever be known now as a great voice. They felt that Bella would go far if she ever chose to have a musical career as a singer.

Practice went about as well as could be expected and everyone knew their parts well. Needless to say, the Blacks and Mrs. Clearwater were quite impressed by the outcome-they had the kids design this performance all on their own. Bella's coaching team couldn't be happier with how the performance was going to turn out. Everything from choreography, costumes, and lighting all worked well together and provided the exact atmosphere that the team had wanted to convey. They now felt quite confident that the school with Bella in the lead could pull off such a risky performance and have the judges absolutely love it.

Everyone, who was going to be involved with the final performance, was excited for that evening's competition. They all had a lot of energy to expend.

Bella, on the other hand, was eager to get it over with. She was once again battling her nerves.

Of course, Edward was there to snap her out of her nervousness, as well as encourage her that she was gonna lead the school to the victory. For some reason, everyone else could have said the same words to her, and actually they had, but they had no effect on her psyche; however, Edward only had to tell her not to be nervous and she'd automatically respond to him, her nervousness would disappear, as if by magic.

Bella didn't quite understand it. She just chalked it up to Edward being her best friend and knowing her better than anyone else. That's why they had the relationship that they did. She couldn't be any more grateful, because it was really Edward that was getting her through the competition without her having a nervous breakdown. Bella didn't know what she'd do without him.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella was once again chosen last to perform for the finals in the Sing-Off. She groaned upon hearing the schedule and didn't know why the competition gods would be so cruel to her. Why was she always the one chosen to go last in the order?

However, what she thought of as a drawback, the rest of the FHS team thought it was a blessing. It gave them more time to prepare and that was never a bad thing in their eyes.

Well, Bella, was always usually the odd man out. She'd just have to make the most of the time she had to wait.

At least, she was able to sit out in the audience this time and watch the other performers going before her. She had been eager to size up her competition.

With Demetri's determined grandmother, Bella's contingent of supporters had once again gotten good seats, just behind the VIPs who were in attendance for the finals that evening. Bella couldn't imagine anyone trying to compete with Mama Grace for those seats.

As if Bella wasn't nervous enough, seeing those VIPs out front brought her nerves to new heights. However, all she had to do was to see Edward's proud face and she was calm once more.

Bella spent the next hour of the competition, before it was her turn to perform, snuggled in Demetri's arms and intently watching the performances. She had been making mental notes, constantly trying to improve on what would be her performance on stage. She wanted to emulate what the other performers were doing well and was going to make sure that she capitalized on the other performers' weaknesses.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled out to see that Edward had texted her. She looked over at Edward who was seating a couple of seats away. She gave him a look, communicating her puzzlement. He just pointed down to his phone, silently mouthing for her to read her text.

As soon as Bella looked down at her phone and read Edward's text, she just had to laugh. Apparently, Edward was intently watching the performances too and he wanted to send her some observations that he noticed so that she could use the notes to improve upon her performance. Somehow, she and Edward tended to always be on the same page.

They texted back and forth sharing their observations and Bella found that she and Edward thought many of the same things about the performers who were on the stage. It was almost as if they were sharing the same brain.

For the most part, all of the other performers were really very good on their own rite, and Bella understood why these schools were chosen for the finals. The judges really did pick quality acts and Bella felt humbled to be included amongst the rest.

Because this was the finals, Bella figured that each of the high schools had considerably made their programs better from when they were last on stage; however, Bella and Edward could still always find something to nitpick about.

When it came time for FHS to begin their preparations for their performance, Bella felt confident that she was armed with everything she needed to blow the other competitors out of the water. Despite her nerves, she was determined to bring home the victory trophy to her school.

The snide comment that she overheard the team coaches for the reservation school making to her coaches also helped to get her competitive juices flowing. The reservation coaches didn't think much of Bella and her so-called talent, and that didn't bother her too much. They didn't put much stock in the fact that FHS was a clear favorite to win, which was fine with Bella, since she didn't see herself as a front-runner to win either.

What really got her riled up, however, was that these coaches also ended up belittling both the Blacks just because they decided to work at FHS, and they mocked their talent as musicians, going as far as blatantly letting both Mr. Blacks know that they couldn't coach a Sing-Off winner if they tried. It was rather rude of them.

Their actions pissed Bella off and she hadn't forgotten the look they had given her coaches the other day, either. She was determined to let those coaches eat crow.

She wanted to bring home the trophy, not for herself or for her school; she wanted to win for Jacob and Billy Black. She'd take great satisfaction in having the Blacks rub the win in those reservation coaches' faces.

Backstage, all the prep work was being done for the FHS final showpiece performance. The band members were getting their instruments set up, which included Edward preparing for his piano duties once more. The FHS set was being staged and the lighting and sound were being tested. The prep work also included getting Bella ready for her moment on stage.

She was once again put through the rigors of hair, makeup, and costuming. It was one of her least favorite parts of preparing to be out on stage. Mrs. Kline enlisted a team this time to help her, which basically consisted of a lot of the mothers, including Edward's mom, Esme. Of course, particular attention was paid to Bella since she was their star performer. Actually, these were only considered a chore to Bella who would've rather done without it, but she understood what it took to present a complete visual package out there on stage.

When she was done being made up, Bella wandered about backstage going over her cues in her head and all the mental notes she had made for her performance that evening. She also went in search of Riley.

She hadn't seen Riley since she finished her performance yesterday. That was strange since Bella was certain she would've run into him at one point. She had even scanned the audience on occasion to see if he was watching the other performances, but she hadn't noticed him. Bella had a sneaking suspicion that Riley was purposely avoiding her, but she didn't have a reason why he would be.

Bella was correct in assuming that Riley was avoiding her, because he was. He'd expended a lot of effort not to have to run into her.

After yesterday, Riley realized that he liked Bella more than he really should. He wanted to be more than friends. He definitely could understand why there were a lot guys in school that had crushes on her. There was no doubt that she was beautiful, but after getting to know her through working on the competition together, there were a million other things he found out that he liked about her.

When they hugged, he really felt something deep down inside of himself. It was something he had never felt before with any other girl. It was strange, exciting, yet scary at the same time.

However, it was clear to Riley that his infatuation with Bella was dangerous. She obviously didn't return his feelings. She had a boyfriend that she seemed perfectly happy with. He wasn't the type to bust up another person's relationship. It was better for him to get over his infatuation since Bella wasn't available, which meant that he needed some time and space away from her.

That was easier said than done, though, considering they still had to get through this final showpiece round of the competition, but Riley was proud of himself for having been able to avoid Bella all day. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her, cause he had. She just hadn't known it. He couldn't bear it if he had gone the whole day without at least catching a glimpse of her, but he resisted the urge to approach her and make his presence known.

When Riley noticed Bella enter the backstage area after getting her hair and makeup done, he thought his resolve might just falter. She looked so beautiful and he wanted to go over and just talk to her. Maybe he could just wish her luck. But then he remembered how cozy she looked in her boyfriend's arms earlier while watching the other performers and he immediately gained his resolve back, then he went back to focusing on his job at hand.

Concentrating on the job he needed to do for FHS for this showpiece round was good. It helped keep his mind off of Bella for the time-being.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella took a deep breath as she took her place on stage, ready to sing her heart out. She sent out a silent prayer to help give her one of the best performances of her life. She closed her eyes and was ready to block everything else out of her mind. Her only focus was to get through this performance and make the judges love her.

Her showpiece song was a risky choice, but she believed her song rounded out her previous day's performance nicely, since it echoed some of the themes that could be found in those other songs that she had sung. She believed that even though Madonna's song was unconventional, it still fit her theme, which was to not take anything in life for granted.

Bella was going to make her song look and sound like it belonged in her performance repertoire and she was going to make her performance look effortless. Of course, thinking it and making it happen was two different things. Bella could only hope that the judges would buy into her performance. She was going to do her best, which was all that she could do.

Bella knew what was at stake. It would all be up to the judges, however.

As the music began to play, Bella took a deep breath, and waited for her cue. She took a quick glance behind her and gave a quick nod to Edward at the keyboard, who gave her a nod and a smile back. Somehow, that put her so much at ease and there was newfound confidence and determination.

There was no doubt in Bella's mind that Edward was her rock. She could've never imagined doing something as big as this singing competition without Edward solidly by her side. Inside, she hoped that it would always remain that way.

The choir behind her started singing the intro, which was Kool and The Gang's, "Celebration" song, and the lights slowly brightened to reveal FHS island circus-like stage. It was FHS homage to getting away and celebrating. It was an island fiesta, Mardi Gras, and a circus all wrapped into a masterfully blended scene on stage. There was a plethora of visuals to capture the eye, but right up front and center was Bella who had the audience's full attention.

She began to sing along with the choir for one round of lyrics for "Celebration" and then the music paused and cut to "Holiday". Bella began to move to the beat and grabbed her microphone from off of its stand. It was never her intention to stand rigidly on center stage and sing, like some of the other competitors had done. Moving and dancing around on stage was one of the improvements she and Edward had agreed on when they were analyzing the performers that had gone before her.

The song she was singing was lively and meant to be moved to. Although Bella wholeheartedly agreed that was what was best for her performance, initially she was hesitant, because she lacked confidence in her own dancing skills. It wasn't that Bella couldn't dance, because she knew she could move, it was whether she'd be able to groove coordinately whilst singing and do so in front of such a large audience.

The idea made her nervous. Her insecurities were once again put to rest by Edward.

Bella didn't have any choreographed moves; she just let herself get lost in the song. Her hands began to clap to the beat on her mic and the rest of her body swayed naturally to the rhythm of the song.

_Holiday Celebrate_

_Holiday Celebrate_

_If we took a holiday_

_Took some time to celebrate_

_Just one day out of life_

_It would be, it would be so nice_

Bella skipped from one side of the stage to another, pouring her heart out into the words that she sung, and made sure she'd made good eye contact with all of the audience sitting in the various sections of the auditorium. She smiled even wider every time she returned to the middle of the stage and looked out upon the seats and saw her father, boyfriend, the Blacks, and the rest of her small group of supporters.

_Everybody spread the word_

_We're gonna have a celebration_

_All across the world_

_In every nation_

_It's time for the good times_

_Forget about the bad times, oh yeah_

_One day to come together_

_To release the pressur_e

_We need a holiday_

Bella began interacting with the other performers that were on stage with her, weaving in and out of the band, the choir, and in between the scenes, as she continued to sing. She even managed to be playful with Edward, who had been concentrating entirely too hard on playing the keyboard music for the song. He had looked quite serious and after Bella got through dancing with him, she managed to loosen him up and elicit a smile, making her feel very proud.

_You can turn this world around_

_And bring back all of those happy days_

_Put your troubles down_

_It's time to celebrate_

_Let love shine_

_And we will find_

_A way to come together_

_And make things better_

_We need a holiday_

As Bella continued to move around on stage, she spotted Riley watching her from the side of the stage, trying his best to conceal himself in the process. Bella went right over to him, pulled him out into the open, and proceeded to dance with him, much to Riley's surprise. However, in not wanting to ruin the performance, Riley went along and grooved smoothly and effortlessly with Bella. The audience would've never guessed their dance wasn't planned.

Edward and Demetri watched Bella dance briefly with Riley with their mouths agape. Both of them could definitely see a connection there, and it was a connection neither one of them were happy to have noticed.

As much as Bella didn't want her dance with Riley to end, she knew that she couldn't continue to focus on him. She reluctantly moved on and Riley retreated back into the side of the stage.

_If we took a holiday_

_Took some time to celebrate_

_Just one day out of life_

_It would be, it would be so nice_

Bella sang a string of the song's chorus and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap and groove along with her, and much to Bella's delight, they did. The song was starting to wind down and Bella felt it was a good time to move herself out into the audience and interact them. Her newly developed plan had her ending her song right at the judges table in the center of the auditorium.

_Holiday Celebrate_

_Holiday Celebrate_

_If we took a holiday_

_Took some time to celebrate_

_Just one day out of life_

_It would be, it would be so nice_

She proceeded to dance her way off the stage and out into the audience and the rest of the troupe followed Bella's lead, immersing themselves amongst the people. Bella took a turn dancing briefly with various audience members, including her dad, Mama Grace, and even with Jacob Black.

The Blacks and Ms. Clearwater was in awe of Bella. In their eyes, she had done exactly the right thing, bringing the audience to a fevered frenzy, delighting in her song and interactions with them. It was not something that they had discussed with her for the final performance, but was very proud of Bella for having thought of it.

FHS music team thought that no one would've ever guessed that Bella wasn't a professional singer. It seemed she was made to be out there on stage. She just soaked up the energy that was thrown back at her by the excited audience and relished it.

_Holiday Celebrate_

_Holiday Celebrate_

There were no rules in the competition that stated that a contestant couldn't interact with the judges, so Bella moved right up to them and began to get them involved in her song. They were already all up on their feet and clapping. Bella encouraged them to dance along with her and some the other dancers from FHS. The huge smiles on the judges' faces only encouraged Bella further.

_Holiday Celebrate_

_Holiday Celebrate_

_Holiday, Celebration_

_Come together in every nation _

Bella didn't know whatever possessed her to, but she climbed right up on the judges table to close out her song. She was too far away to return to the stage to close out her song and the judges table felt like a suitable substitute. She hoped it wasn't too over the top and the judges wouldn't count it against her.

With a final, "Holiday. Come together Tri-County," Bella finished her performance to roaring applause. The auditorium was so loud that it seemed that no one could hardly even hear themselves even think.

With the help of two of her fellow performers from the FHS crew, Bella managed to gracefully get herself down from atop the judges' table, a feat in of itself. She made her way back to the stage and joined the rest of the band and choir from her school and took a bow. Then the curtain closed and Bella was left standing alone on stage. She waited for the rest of the competitors to join her up on stage to take their final bows. Once that was done, Bella ran off into the waiting arms of her supporters, who did nothing but compliment Bella on a job well done.

There was no doubt that Bella had blown the audience away. But was it enough to have won over the judges as well?

Charlie and the rest of Bella's staunch supporters were applauding wildly and beaming with pride. Edward thought he might sprain both his hands and his mouth from clapping and smiling too much. Riley stepped out from the side of the stage and gave Bella approving whistles, which Demetri didn't fail to notice, but Demetri would have to deal with Riley later; he was too busy giving his own rounds of applause and whistles to his girlfriend.

Bella sat down anxiously in her seat as the waiting period began while the judges made their decision. Much to everyone's surprise, the judges' decision came rather swiftly. Bella didn't know if that was a good sign or not.

Bella didn't really hear much after the announcer began calling out the winners. The room was just too loud and rowdy. It was if as she had gone into a daze.

Bella didn't really know who else placed, but what she heard distinctly was this, "And the winner of this year's Tri-County Sing Off competition, Isabella Swan and Forks High School." If Bella had thought the auditorium was loud before, the announcement of her name and FHS winning the coveted trophy caused the room to erupt further. Bella was certain that the rumble from the uproar in the auditorium could've been heard all the way into the next county.

Bella had done it. She had brought home the trophy for her school and was the pride of all of Forks.

* * *

**End A/N:** I apologize for no teaser as well for the next chapter. I couldn't decide on one yet, so skipping it instead. I just wanted to post this just as soon as I could.

Have you taken a look at my profile lately and noticed my work with charity? Chapters to two new stories I've been working on are making appearances in various fandom charity fic compilations. I've posted details and links on my profile. If you're interested in my work, the two new WIP's, or just have a generous heart-please peruse that little section on my profile-thanks!


	11. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Well, here's Chapter 7 finally. Took a little longer than I had originally thought, but here it is for your reading pleasure.

Again, the mistakes are all mine-please excuse them. Hopefully, there aren't any or too many heinous errors.

Wanted to dedicate this chapter of the story to one of my readers, SandytheSandstorm. This reader had brightened my inbox with the loveliest of reviews and reaffirmed my reasons for taking the time out of my busy life to keep writing. Not only that, she had gone above and beyond and rec'd my story on her Twitter. I never could have imagined such a gift. So, in thanks, this chapter is for this reader. I am quite touched and eternally grateful!

**DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH I LOVE REVIEWS?**

**I AM ALWAYS APPRECIATIVE OF MY READERS**

**WHO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO REVIEW**

**PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING ME ONE.**

**YOU NEVER KNOW, I MAY APPRECIATE YOU NEXT.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: New Horizons**

_**October-Sophomore year...**_

Bella leaned back on the couch, still clutching in her hand the soda that had surely gone flat, feigning interest at the conversation going around her. A few well placed, "ohs", "ahs", and "hmm mms", and the usual douches vying for her attention never knew that she wasn't really listening to anything that was being said. It was remarkable to Bella that no one in the group realized that she was utterly bored with the idle chit-chat, since she was certain her body language would've given her away. However, she gathered that the boys were too busy thinking that they were impressing her to notice that she wasn't at all interested in them, as well as whatever it was they were discussing.

Bella could've easily moved to a different seat, and that would've certainly given these boys the hint, but she was sitting at that particular spot for a reason. It had the perfect view and she didn't want to lose her vantage point. She just had to tolerate those around her who also refused to move from where they were.

Bella's eyes and interest was currently fixated on her best friend, Edward, who was dancing seductively with his latest cheerleader girlfriend, Heidi. Bella knew that Heidi was nowhere near good enough for Edward, which was how she actually felt about most of the other girls he dated, but she felt more wary of Heidi. She wanted to get Edward away from Heidi.

Except for lecturing Edward about his choices, Bella never interfered with Edward's relationships. He dated whom he wanted. Edward offered her the same courtesy. However, Bella was now willing to make an exception to their unwritten rule.

Like many of the cheerleaders whom Bella have come to know, Heidi didn't have much in the way of brains. However, she more than made up for it in guys' minds with her model-like beauty, perfect hourglass-shaped figure complete with fake breasts, and, most importantly, her sexual reputation.

In fact, Heidi's reputation preceded her. Everyone knew that she had transferred to FHS due to being expelled from the high-priced, ultra-exclusive, private school she previously used to attend, because of the sullied reputation she had gained.

However, instead of Heidi being embarrassed about the expulsion, or shamefaced about the reputation she had, she seemed to take it all in stride and Bella could dare say that Heidi relished her infamous status. Bella found that incredible and in poor taste.

Bella didn't like Heidi at all. In fact, she liked Heidi the least out of all the girls whom Edward had dated.

Bella was particularly wary of Heidi, because she knew that Heidi was trouble-trouble with a capital T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It was hardly a secret that Heidi was no virtuous debutante. She was definitely a wild child, determined to push boundaries and circumvent rules.

She was nothing at all like any of the girls Edward dated in the past. Bella may not have been keen on Edward's choice of girlfriend in the past, but in Bella's mind, any one of those exes were a hell of a lot better girlfriend for Edward than Heidi.

Bella didn't want Edward to have anything to do with a girl like her. Edward was just too good of a person to be involved with someone the likes of Heidi.

Bella couldn't understand why the two of them were even together. Edward and Heidi seemed polar opposites in every way. Yet, they did get along exceptionally well.

Bella felt as though she may become sick to her stomach watching the two of them now. She cursed the stupid tutoring program that brought them together. If Heidi hadn't needed tutoring in what seemed like all her classes, Edward would've probably never paid her any mind. Heidi would be free to date some juvenile delinquent, whom Bella felt would've been a better match for a girl like her.

Edward liked pretty girls, but after his first girlfriend, Jessica, who also lacked in brains, he had vowed never to date any girl he deemed "dumb as rocks" again. Heidi would certainly fall into that category. So, imagine Bella's surprised when she caught Edward walking into school one morning hand in hand with Heidi.

Edward explained that their relationship started out innocently enough. He was assigned to tutor Heidi in a couple of classes. She needed help in certain areas and the teacher in charge of the tutoring program felt that Edward would be the best candidate to give her the help she needed. Through the tutoring sessions, they got to know one another, and then after a session, she had invited him out and the rest, as they say, was history.

Bella rolled her eyes every time she thought about the two of them together. She really couldn't stand Heidi. If Bella was to be brutally honest, Heidi was coming between her friendship with Edward.

Bella felt she had good reason to extremely dislike Heidi. She thought that Heidi lacked decency and morals, couldn't be trusted, and she didn't buy that Heidi was indeed trying to change her ways, starting with having a guy like Edward for a boyfriend.

Bella had heard quite a number of unflattering stories about Heidi from a number of different people. Even her friends down at the Quileute reservation knew of Heidi. That had to say something about how infamous the name, Heidi Sayer, was around town. Bella's Quileute friends painted Heidi in an even worse light than her classmates back at FHS; they really had no respect for a girl like her.

In fact, Bella's friends even told her that they suspect that Heidi must have some sort of boyfriend on the reservation, because they'd seen her too often around La Push for Heidi not to be seeing someone there. Either that, or Heidi was scoring some "bad" things from the guy, since the man they suspected Heidi befriending while down in La Push also had a notorious reputation around the reservation. Her Quileute friends weren't surprised that those two people would've gotten together.

Normally, Bella wouldn't pay the gossip surrounding Heidi any mind. She lived in a small town and people liked to talk; however, Bella had no reason to distrust what her Quileute friends had mentioned to her about Heidi. Unlike some other people Bella knew, her friends on the reservation wouldn't have any motives to lie about what they knew of Heidi.

Those stories that her Quileute friends shared about Heidi was the reason Bella became more wary of her. The Quileute Indians were perceptive people and knew right away that Heidi was a bad seed. Bella already had her own suspicions about Heidi, although she had yet to confirm them. However, now, her mind was made up that Heidi was definitely no good for her best friend.

Bella didn't believe for one second that Heidi was trying to change. She definitely saw no sign of that. Instead, she felt as though Heidi would end up corrupting Edward in the end.

Bella's friends on the reservation had warned Bella, stating that she'd be wise to stay clear of Heidi, and that was what Bella had pretty much been doing. It was why she started spending less and less time with Edward. But, of course, they went to the same school, and hung around some of the same circles, so there were times when Bella couldn't avoid Heidi even if she wanted to; like this party they were all together at now.

It was one of the football game after-parties, and normally Bella didn't like to go to these things, but she had no choice but to be dragged along by Rosalie and Alice. FHS had won what was a very difficult game and all her friends felt like celebrating. Emmett and Jasper happened to be on the school's football team, so Bella decided to go to this party in support of them as well.

Bella was beginning to regret that decision. Of course, her friends had pretty much ditched her as soon as they all walked into the door and had left her prey to the boys who'd been in constant pursuit of her. This wasn't exactly Bella's idea of a good time. She could've been home, reading a good book instead.

Bella was just about to leave, determined to walk home, since she was only a couple of streets away from her house, but then Edward strode in, fashionably late with Heidi. Of course, Heidi would show up since she was on the cheerleading team. Bella found a new reason to stay.

However, apart from exchanging brief pleasantries, Edward spent the rest of his time consumed with Heidi. In fact, if Bella didn't know any better, Heidi was purposely keeping Edward away from her at the party. Nonetheless, Edward didn't seem to mind, and it was clear to Bella that she and her best friend were drifting apart.

Maybe Edward was still mad at Bella for getting on him about Heidi. It was obvious that she didn't support the relationship.

However, Bella couldn't leave them well enough alone like the rest of their gang of friends. Her Quileute friends had told her that if she cared for Edward at all, she'd let him know that Heidi was no good for him. That was exactly what she had been doing.

Bella had told Edward her concerns about Heidi. It hadn't gone over well. The discussion they had on the matter of Heidi was one of the few fights the two best friends had.

Bella was concerned about the stories spreading around town about Heidi. Edward chastized her and told her that she should know better than to pay the gossip any heed.

Bella had also wondered about Heidi's true intentions. She guessed that Edward didn't appreciate her concern that Heidi wouldn't date a guy like him without any ulterior motives. Maybe Bella could've chosen her words more carefully, but it was truly how she felt.

Heidi seemed to like her bad boys, and Edward wasn't one of those types of guy. As handsome as Edward is, he wasn't normally the kind of guy Heidi would date, so Bella questioned it. Edward explained that Heidi was trying to change. That he was being a good influence on her.

Bella still didn't see it that way. In fact, she saw Heidi negatively affecting Edward instead. Just the fact that she and Edward were starting to spend less time together, even though they were suppose to be best friends, was testament to that in Bella's mind.

Bella also told Edward about her concerns regarding Heidi's faithfulness as his girlfriend. Bella had seen for herself how flirtatious Heidi was with the opposite sex. Even with Edward around, Heidi did nothing to tame her flirty behavior. This behavior was definitely suspect in Bella's mind, and to her, it was proof positive of the stories she'd heard about Heidi; that they weren't as far-fetched as Edward may have thought.

When Bella had confronted Edward on Heidi's flirtatious nature, Edward scoffed at her and just chalked it up to Heidi being an extremely friendly person with everyone, not just boys, and accused Bella of making more of it than it really was. He obviously didn't see anything unusual about the way she acted.

Edward had a rebuttal for every one of the points that Bella had brought up. It left them both frustrated and angry with one another. In the end, they both just agreed to disagree on the matter of Heidi. Although, in Bella's mind, she and Edward had patched things up, Edward's cold demeanor to her at the party made her unsure.

But, then again, why would Edward find anything wrong with his girlfriend? Edward was currently completely enthralled with Heidi.

To Edward, Heidi hung the moon. It was something that she had never seen Edward feel for any of his past girlfriends.

Bella thought she knew why. Edward hadn't yet confirmed it to her, but Bella already figured that the reason Edward was so smitten with Heidi was because she was satisfying Edward's raging teen boy hormones. It was obvious to Bella that Edward had started to round bases with Heidi, and that was just in line with the kind of girl Heidi was. So, what fifteen year old boy wouldn't think highly of his girlfriend if they were doing those things? The thought just made Bella ill.

Bella knew it happens. If she thought about it, there was probably a lot of people around her that had been gaining experience in that department. She just wasn't one of them.

Bella and her father already had the talk and sex education was included in all the health classes. So, she wasn't some naive girl nor a prude. She wasn't the type of girl that believed in the whole "save yourself for marriage spiel." Her philosophy was that if you found someone you loved, then it would be the natural step. However, it shouldn't be the natural step with just anybody and everybody; otherwise, that was just gross. Bella felt it had to be with the right person and should be made special.

She didn't really mind that Edward was getting some action. In fact, she was happy for him. Edward was growing up after all. What she had a problem with was that Edward was experimenting sexually with a girl like Heidi, who Bella felt didn't follow her and the rest of her friends' philosophy on sex.

Bella surmised that Heidi was probably fooling around behind Edward's back with that La Push guy. Again, Bella had no concrete proof, and was basing her assumption on the stories she'd heard. She would like nothing better than to have evidence, then she could rid Edward of Heidi once and for all, but Bella had to hand it to Heidi-she was good at covering her tracks.

Edward may have certainly been fooled by Heidi, but Bella wasn't. She didn't buy that Heidi just had a lot of friends that were boys, that she was just an extremely friendly person, and that she wanted to change her ways. To Bella that was just a bunch of bullshit that Heidi used to keep Edward and her parents placated. It wasn't that Bella didn't believe people could change, it was just she didn't believe a girl like Heidi could change. As the daughter of a police chief, Bella learned that some people were just lost causes. Bella believed Heidi to be one of those people.

Another thing that Bella didn't like about Heidi, she hadn't seen Heidi friendly with any of Edward's female friends, and Heidi most certainly hadn't been friendly with her. Heidi hid it well enough when Edward was around, feigning civility, but Bella knew it was all an act. She didn't miss the nasty glances, the whispered words, and the closed off demeanor Heidi would have whenever she was around Edward's friends that were girls.

It played into Heidi's hands that Bella and Edward were drifting apart. Heidi must be enjoying it. Of course, she had Edward currently wrapped around her little finger, so he didn't know any better.

As much as Bella hated losing touch with Edward, she just couldn't bear being around and close to Heidi. So, she kept her distance. Heidi made no effort to help the friendship, either. So, Bella and Heidi shared a mutual dislike of each other. But, Bella had no doubt that once she is able to free Edward from Heidi's clutches then things between them would go back to the way they were.

She didn't know when that would be, however. Heidi was sticking around for now.

Unfortunately, Bella was also alone in her sentiment. Her friends made no qualms about telling her that she was being a bit unreasonable as far as Heidi was concerned.

Of course, Edward had yet to see her point of view. Bella snorted at the thought. Why would Edward think she's anything but God's gift when she was keeping him sexually satisfied?

While Rose, Alice, and Angela, as well as Edward's brothers, didn't particularly care for Heidi, they didn't exactly buy into Bella's notion that she was bad for Edward. They saw how happy Heidi made Edward and that was good enough for them to support him in his relationship, despite their reservations against Heidi.

They also weren't willing to go as far as to purposely help Bella break them up, which Bella had no qualms expressing to them of late that it was what she wanted to do. They were dead set against that. Bella's friends were basically just waiting for the relationship to take its natural course to an end. Edward, after all, wasn't known to have long-lasting relationships.

Bella didn't know, however, if she could stand to wait that long. Every time she saw them together, it reminded her of all the reasons why she was against the relationship.

"It's not like they're gonna get married or anything," Alice had expressed to Bella one day.

"Just let them be," Emmett had told Bella. "They're having fun. You're always gonna be a part of his life. That much is true. It's obvious that she won't. So, leave it well enough alone."

"We may not like her, but we can put up with her. It isn't like we haven't put up with any of Edward's girlfriends in the past," was Rosalie's opinion on the matter.

Jasper had told Bella, "I may not like my brother's choice in girlfriend, but it is his own choice. I can do nothing, but support him. Besides, what does that say about me, if I don't support his choice. It would mean I was questioning his ability to know what's right for him."

Pretty much the same came from Angela and Ben, and from most other friends in their circle, as well as from her dad and even Edward's parents. This frustrated Bella to no end. She couldn't understand why no one else could see Heidi clearly, for what she really was, but her.

Bella didn't know this, but her friends had figured that Bella's newfound obsession with Edward and Heidi's relationship had a lot to do with the demise of her relationship with Demetri over the summer. Unfortunately, for Bella, her relationship with her boyfriend didn't pass the test and couldn't survive the summer break and the distance between them.

Things were going well enough for Bella and Demetri during the start of summer. They were looking forward to Demetri finally enrolling to school at FHS and so, come fall, he and Bella would be going to school together. Even if it was only going to be one school year, it was exciting to them to be together as a couple at the same school.

They began to encounter some problems after Bella had won the Tri-County Sing-Off competition, mostly due to Demetri's sudden onset of jealous behavior, but they had worked through them and seemed to be doing okay. However, it just wasn't in the cards for them to remain blissfully happy.

During the beginning of July, Demetri's father had suffered a massive heart attack and Demetri had to return to his former home in California to be by his father's side. Mama Grace went with him. The stay turned out to be longer than anyone anticipated, and the next thing Bella knew, Mama Grace had returned to Forks just to wrap up her affairs only to return to California. How fast plans could change in the blink of an eye?

Bella tried to keep in touch with Demetri through letters, email, and phone, but it was obvious to Bella that things had changed drastically between them. Demetri was pulling away. She couldn't say that she could blame him. It was hard to maintain the long-distance relationship, made even harder by their ages. Bella couldn't say she was surprised when she got that one phone call from Demetri that told her that they were through. Demetri had become friendly with a girl back in California and he just didn't feel right to keep her hanging on. They parted ways amicably.

While Bella was bummed about the end of her relationship with Demetri, the longest boyfriend she'd had to date, she couldn't say she was exactly heartbroken. She knew she hadn't fallen in love with him. Bella didn't think that she could ever be in love with him with like that. They had something special, that was for sure, but Bella didn't feel that they would be the kind of couple that would end up together for the rest of their lives. She realized that she never saw that for them, so who knows how much longer they would've been a couple even if he didn't end up moving back to California.

Bella couldn't fault Demetri for wanting to move on. Maybe the girl back in California was who he was meant to be with. She could also never say anything bad about Demetri since he was very good to her while they were together. They just weren't meant to be. Bella accepted that.

Bella was ready to move on herself. She even had her eye on a boy-Riley.

She and Riley Biers had gotten close while working together on the Sing-Off. She definitely had a crush, although she had respected her relationship with Demetri at the time. Bella never thought that anything would come of her crush; however, when she saw him at school that first day back looking quite cute, her heart went pitter-patter.

Although, they were friendly with another whenever they saw each other around school, she and Riley still didn't quite run in the same circles. Since he was a senior, while she was only a sophomore, they also didn't have any classes together. Bella was eager to spend more time with him, but her opportunities were limited. Riley also seemed to be a very busy guy around school. She could've track him down more often, but Bella didn't want to be too obvious in her crush.

For some reason, Bella was holding her crush on Riley close to her heart. No one knew about it, not even Edward, and she usually told Edward everything. Well, Edward being with Heidi currently, was a big factor as to why she didn't feel right to confide in him.

Bella really liked Riley and she wondered if he had any feelings for her at all. He was friendly, but Bella didn't know if he could ever think of her as any more than a friend. Bella felt she would be crushed if nothing more than friendship came of her feelings for Riley. It was maybe also a reason why she felt to keep her crush to herself.

Bella didn't tell Rosalie and Alice that part of the reason she also agreed to come to the party was that she hoped that Riley would come to this party as well, and she could possibly spend some time with him away from the school environment. However, it was looking increasingly likely that he wasn't gonna show. Maybe these after-game parties weren't his scene.

Bella was quite disappointed that she didn't get to see Riley. Now, she had to deal with watching Edward and Heidi put on a display and quite frankly, she was going to be sick. She'd finally had her fill of the party.

Bella got up from her seat on the couch and barely thought to mutter a greeting of good-bye to the confused boys around her. She just up and left, praying that none of those boys thought to follow her. Thankfully, they didn't and just continued to mingle with one another and whomever else was nearby.

She went around the party finding her various friends and letting them know that she was going to go. It wasn't as if any of them really cared. They were all too busy caught up in the fun that they were having. None of them had even bothered to ask how she was going to get home exactly. Bella harbored no hard feelings towards her friends. They were having a good time and far be it from her to ruin their good time.

Bella made her way out of the house and into the cool, brisk air of the fall night. She hugged her coat closer to her and made her way down the long driveway, ready for the walk home. She kept her eyes on her feet, being careful not to run into any icy patches from the recent snowfall, lest she fall flat on her ass. That was the last thing she needed to cap what she deemed an awful night. She couldn't wait to be home and curl herself up under her sheets and lose herself in music and the book she was reading, then fall into oblivious sleep.

Bella was too busy looking down that she wasn't paying any attention to where she was walking. She ended up accidentally running into a warm body heading in the opposite direction. When she looked up, she was pleasantly surprised.

She had run straight into Riley. Bella couldn't say that she was sorry their collision happened.

He held her steady, so as not to make both of them fall from the collision. Bella swore she could feel the heat of his touch even through her thick coat.

Bella's heart fluttered due to the close proximity of Riley and she couldn't help but blush. She hoped that Riley wouldn't notice.

"What? Is the party over already?" Riley asked.

"No. I've just decided to make an early night of it. Wasn't really my scene, y'know," Bella answered.

"I could understand what you mean. I wasn't even going to come, but those two galoots over there," then Riley pointed to his two companions smirking and chuckling off to the side, "got bored and thought to check the party out. I had nothing else better to do, so I thought I'd come with them."

Bella hadn't even notice that Riley were with other boys. She felt a bit embarrassed, as she knew that the other two boys must've known what was transpiring between her and Riley, if their smirking and chuckling were of any indication.

"So, you're heading home?" Riley asked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Um, yeah. I'm just not in the mood to deal with the crowd. I, normally, hate these kinds of parties and prefer more intimate get-togethers. My friends basically just dragged me along and I kind of felt obligated to help celebrate my friends, Jasper and Emmett's, win. Not that any of my friends really paid any attention to me once we all got to the party."

"They ditched you, huh," Riley said, knowingly.

"Yeah, pretty much. No big, though. They're all in their party mode and I'm just not." Riley nodded knowingly again.

Their conversation was interrupted when one of the guys Riley came with called out, "Hey, Riley. Are you coming? We'd like to make it up there sometime tonight."

Bella looked to see that Riley's companions were already up ahead on the driveway, ready to head into the house party. They were calling Riley to join them.

"Well, it looks like your friends are waiting for you. I should let you go and head out," Bella said, sounding disappointed also. She began to slowly walk away from Riley.

Riley held a hand up to his friends, silently asking them to wait a minute. He looked around and noticed that Bella didn't seem to have any other companions around her.

"Um, hold up," Riley called out, halting Bella in her stride. "Bella, how are you gonna get home? Where's your ride?"

"Well, my usual ride is still inside. It's not a problem, though. I'm not too far from my house. It's just a couple of streets down. I thought I'd walk," Bella explained.

"Wait, what?" Riley nearly bellowed. "In the cold, at this time of night, you plan to walk home a couple of blocks?" Bella just nodded.

"What the hell?" Riley further questioned. "What about calling your dad?"

"I can't. He's pulling off a double-shift at the station. I don't want to bother him. I also don't want to pull any of my friends out from enjoying the party. I'll be alright. It's not far."

Riley shook his head. "No way. There's no way that you're walking home alone. Even if it's just a couple of streets down." Riley sounded adamant.

"What? Why? Are you gonna take me home?" Bella was puzzled.

"I wish I could, but I hitched a ride with my pal up there," nodding his head at his friend's direction. They were still waiting patiently, or maybe not so patiently, for Riley.

"Well, your pal wants to go to the party, so I doubt he'd appreciate taking time just to drop me off. I don't even want to impose like that. Go. Join your friends. I'll be okay."

"I just can't let you go off like that."

"No, really. It'll be fine. I've got my trusty cell phone, if there's any trouble."

"I'll take you home, then. I'm sure Tim won't mind me borrowing his car."

"No, it's okay. Like I said before, I don't want to impose. Actually, I think a walk will do me good."

Riley frowned. He couldn't in good conscience just let Bella walk off into the cold night by herself. His mother raised him with better manners.

"I'll walk with you then," Riley insisted, having finally decided on what he should do.

"But, what about the party?" Bella asked.

"I could do without it. I'd rather spend the time with you. If that's okay?" Riley told Bella honestly.

"I don't know. It seems like an awful lot of trouble. I mean, you're gonna have to walk back all by yourself."

"Well, I was hoping that you'd invite me in instead and we could just hang, then I can just call up my buddy to come get me on his way out from the party," Riley muttered with a smirk. "At least, that would be the plan. If it's all okay with you, of course."

Bella had to smile at that plan. It wasn't too late wherein Riley and her couldn't chill at her house for a little bit. She wasn't even expecting her dad home until morning, so he would never had to know that she had a boy over late into the evening. It sounded like a good plan to her.

"Well, okay. That sounds nice," Bella said invitingly.

Riley then shouted up to his friends, "You guys go ahead, okay. I'm gonna skip out this time and just hang with Bella. I'll call later." He then waved them off and they nodded then disappeared inside the house.

Bella and Riley then started making their way over to her house, intermittently and fluidly having light conversation along the way. At some point, their hands joined and they began walking hand in hand. Bella didn't know how that quite happened, but she was happy as happy could be it did.

Walking with Riley was infinitely better than having had to make the walk alone. She even forgot all about Edward and Heidi for the time being.

When they got to her house, Riley was invited in and the two of them had a grand old time together. Both thought that it was better than that house party. They feasted on leftovers that was in the fridge, had some other munchies, and watched a couple of movies. They never lacked for good conversation. They talked about so many different things. Things between them was easy, comfortable, and felt right.

When it came time for Riley to leave, neither one of them seemed eager for him to go. Actually, both of them didn't want the night to end.

Before he said good night, Riley managed to ask Bella out on a date, much to her surprise. She hadn't known that it was something he had wanted to do for a long time.

She accepted, naturally, and looked forward to seeing him at school on Monday. More than that, she looked forward to their date.

With the horn beeping at Riley to get a move on, Riley was able to steal a kiss from Bella on her doorstep, before he definitely had to get himself inside his friend's car. Bella didn't mind at all.

Even though the kiss was brief, Bella thought that it may just have been the best kiss she'd ever had from a boy. She couldn't wait to be able to kiss Riley a little less hurriedly the next time.

Bella went to bed feeling all light and floaty that night. Her night had considerably improved once she spent the time with Riley. Thoughts of Riley lingered in her head and she slept peacefully with sweet dreams of the possibilities with him as her new boyfriend.

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**End A/N: **Here's a considerable teaser for Chapter 8:

_Bella swatted Riley on the arm playfully. "You know that Edward and I are just best friends, nothing more. As for Demetri, I'm not gonna say anything bad about him, because he was a good boyfriend when we were together. I thought I was quite content with him until you came along and I developed feelings for you, which confused the hell out of me. In the end, Demetri and I discovered we weren't meant to be together and we're fine with that; otherwise, I'd still be with him, I think."_

"_Oooh, ouch," Riley interjected._

_Bella smirked. "But, we're not, are we? And, there's a reason. Fate stepped in and led me to you. Besides, I don't think I could ever really love him the way I should. I cared about him and had great affection for him, but that was as far my feelings went. I'm sure, he'll make some girl very happy one day. As for those other silly boys, they have nothing on you. There was never any competition." She then leaned in for a kiss, which Riley gladly obliged._

BTW, I'm halfway done finished with making the chapter post ready, so *fingers crossed* I'd have another update for you readers shortly.

Lastly, I wanted to let you all know again that I have two fics that are WIP's that I have made my charity compilations submission pieces. A couple of chapters of each of the fics are appearing and will be appearing in various fandom charities fic compilations. If you're interested, please take a look at my profile for the pertinent information.

The latest chapter of my charity fic, _In Search of Belonging_, is to go into the Fandom 4 Autism charity fic compilation. I am just one of many other authors that has submitted a piece to be included in their compilation. There is still time to donate to this worthwhile cause and get your exclusive copy of the compilation.

Because of my charity fic obligations, I won't be posting this story or the other charity WIP, _It Wasn't Suppose To Be Me,_ for a while-we're talking at earliest late summer or early fall here. But, you could be one of the first to read the chapters in these stories, if you just donate to the causes. I hope you guys find it in your heart to do so and support all these great charities.


	12. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Well, here's Chapter 8! Yeah, I'll spare you my crap excuses, you all must've heard them all before. Yes, I apologize profusely.

If you must know, I changed something major in this chapter (3500 words written then cut) and that's why it didn't get out promptly.

Again, the mistakes are all mine-please excuse them. Hopefully, there aren't any or too many heinous errors.

**PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW.**

**REVIEWS MAKE MY WORLD INFINITELY BETTER.**

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**Chapter 8: The Boy Who Wins Bella's Heart**

"I thought I'd never get to be with you like this," Riley whispered softly into Bella's ear, as he gently skimmed his nose down the side of her neck, causing shivers to travel down her spine. "I don't think you'll ever know how grateful I am to have you be with me."

Riley and Bella were down at their favorite spot to be alone, atop an isolated cliffside that overlooked the ocean where the waves crashed violently into jutting rocks below. It was a peaceful place for them to be, despite the violence of the waves. It was majestic, an area amongst the cliffs where they could stare out upon the ocean as far as they can see and watch the magical sunsets on the horizon, one of their favorite things to do together.

Bella was introduced to this area of La Push by her Quileute friends. Those same friends were daredevils and would jump off the lower ledges of an adjacent cliff, one which faced out to pure ocean instead of the hazardous rocks. While Bella was with them one day, she had gone off and done some exploring on her own and found this part of the cliffside, just a short hike through some dense trees. She instantly fell in love with this area because of its different perspective and had to show Riley. He liked the area too, and they claimed it as their own special place.

They came up here whenever they had free time to kill and wanted to have some quality time together. This was truly their own special spot. Bella didn't think that many folks knew about the spot. Although, she'd spot some Quileute tribe members hanging around the cliff diving area and near the trail leading to this spot of the cliff side, for the most part, her and Riley's spot was quite isolated; just the way the couple liked it and why they enjoyed it so much. Riley and Bella also kept their spot pretty much a secret; they had never taken any of their friends up here, knowing full well that their friends would probably fall in love with the area too and then they'd never have it all to themselves anymore. This spot was just for the two of them.

Although, there was the typical winter chill in the air, albeit a bit milder than had been in the previous days, both Riley and Bella hardly felt the cold as they warmed each other with their body heat; the small campfire that Riley started and the soft afghan blanket Riley brought helped as well.

Bella sat between Riley's sprawled legs, her back pressed closely to his front, with his arms tightly wound around her middle. She rested her own arms atop his and lazily laid her head upon his shoulder. The blanket was snug around the both of them. At the moment, there was no place she'd rather be than right there wrapped up in Riley's arms. Everything was peaceful and she had never felt more loved. In actuality, Bella could be anywhere, and as long as she was being held by Riley, she knew she'd be feeling the same way.

Riley's softly spoken words entered Bella's consciousness and she wrinkled her nose at Riley's confession, then craned her neck to look at him. "Why would you even say something like that?" She responded back.

Riley chuckled softly, before giving her an answer, "Well, I didn't think I'd have a chance in hell with you. When I started crushing on you, after we worked together for the Sing-Off, you were clearly unavailable. You seemed very happy with Demetri. I'm also not the type of guy to go after another guy's girl. I thought it would be fruitless to like you and it was better if I just got over my crush on you. I had such a hard time, cause I liked you more than I really even cared to admit to myself. As much as I tried to get you off my mind, I couldn't. You were pretty much all I could think about."

Bella interjected, "Really?"

"Yeah, really. I was kind of pathetic. I was pining after a girl I had no business pining after. I didn't know what to do. On the one hand, I thought I should avoid you, thinking that it would help me get over my crush on you...and the sooner, the better. However, on the other hand, I wanted to be your friend and spend time with you, cause if that's all I could get, then I'd take it. It was better than nothing. Honestly, having a less than friendly relationship with you and avoiding you was kind of miserable. Anyway, I kept warring with myself."

Bella interjected again, "Sheesh. I had no idea I was causing you such conflict."

Riley chuckled softly once more. "Oh, baby, I think you cause a lot of guys like me to be conflicted."

"Huh? How do you figure?"

"In case you haven't noticed, there are all these other guys that has made it no secret around school that they like you and are vying for your affections, boyfriend or not. I can even reason that there are some guys at school that have girls and probably still have crushes on you too. After they'd heard you sing and seen what you can do on stage, there's a lot of guys that started seeing you in a whole new light. The competition for your affections, my dear, is very steep."

"I think you're exaggerating," Bella said dismissively.

"No, I'm not. What? You don't think us guys talk about you girls, too? You don't know half the things I've had to endure hearing about you in the locker room. I'll admit to banging up a locker or two, instead of punching out the damn idiot that dared to talk about you in an inappropriate way."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Riley confirmed. "You know what else? It's been harder for me to hold back ever since you've become my girlfriend. The same guys haven't stopped talking even though you're clearly with me now. You might just find me in detention one day."

"Oh, please, don't pick a fight over me. But, I can't believe that I'm such a popular topic of conversation in the locker room. I'm not all that special."

"You're wrong. You're very special," Riley said endearingly and with conviction.

"Fine...if you say so. I still think you're overestimating the number of guys that like me. It's not like I had been rolling in offers for dates or anything before you came along."

"I think that has more to do with who your father is. I think guys would be asking you out constantly if they weren't intimidated by your police chief dad."

"You weren't intimidated by who my father is."

"Well, I was, but I had to just suck it up and seize my opportunity when I got it. I didn't want to waste any more time."

"Hmm...we did have a great time together that night," Bella said with a smile, fondly remembering that night a couple of months back when they had literally run into one another at a party, then Riley walked her home and they'd hung out before he had to leave. Riley had asked her out then and kissed her for the first time. " You know, before then, I was beginning to think that we'd be nothing more than friends," she added.

"Like I said before, I felt the same."

"But, Riley...if you liked me so much, why didn't you just ask me out sooner? At some point before the start of school, you must've known that Demetri had left and we were through. I was free to go out with you. We were always friendly in school, but nothing more, and it was kind of frustrating. I had been hoping that you liked me as more than a friend."

"I know. I know. I was an idiot. I have to admit that the day I found out that you and Demetri broke up, I was stoked. It was rather inconsiderate of me to feel so overjoyed that you and your boyfriend had broken up, but I really didn't feel sorry for the end of your relationship. To me, it was a good thing. No offense. I didn't want to just be friends, especially after I kept seeing you around school. The more I got to know you, the more my feelings grew. I waited because I didn't know if you liked me in the way that I liked you and if you were ready for another relationship so soon after the end of what you had with Demetri."

"You didn't feel the instant connection between us?" Bella questioned.

"Of course, I did. I just didn't know if you felt it too. Considering you had a boyfriend at the time, I wasn't sure if the feelings were one-sided."

"Well, of course I did. Couldn't you tell? Why didn't you trust in that?" Bella questioned some more. "Admittedly, having feelings grow for you and still caring for Demetri made me all confused."

Riley chuckled again. "Could you blame me? You were really into your ex-boyfriend. I wasn't sure if you were heartbroken or not. And, then even if he was out of the picture, there was some other stiff competition out there. You're one of the most popular girls in school and winning the Sing-Off only helped your social life. I pretty much figured I'd need to stand in line. Not to mention, there's also Edward. You two are very close."

Bella swatted Riley on the arm playfully. "You know that Edward and I are just best friends, nothing more. As for Demetri, I'm not gonna say anything bad about him, because he was a good boyfriend when we were together. I thought I was quite content with him until you came along and I developed feelings for you, which confused the hell out of me. In the end, Demetri and I discovered we weren't meant to be together and we're fine with that; otherwise, I'd still be with him, I think."

"Oooh, ouch," Riley interjected.

Bella smirked. "But, we're not, are we? And, there's a reason. Fate stepped in and led me to you. Besides, I don't think I could ever really love him the way I should. I cared about him and had great affection for him, but that was as far my feelings went. I'm sure, he'll make some girl very happy one day. As for those other silly boys, they have nothing on you. There was never any competition." She then leaned in for a kiss, which Riley gladly obliged.

Riley and Bella kissed until they were both breathless. They pulled apart with a smile both on their lips.

"Mmm...you gotta stop doing that," Riley said.

"Doing what?" Bella asked with a smirk.

"Kissing me like that. Your kisses are like...well, I think they're simply amazing."

Bella couldn't help the blush that formed on her cheeks. "Oh, stop."

"It's true. Your kisses to me are like breaths of life. They jump start my heart and make me feel so alive. I swear, kissing you...well, I liken it to being struck by lightning. Not that I would know. There's just like this surge of electricity that travels through me from you and it ignites this fire from within me, spreading warmth all over, making my insides all mushy and eliciting feelings from me that I've never felt before. It's the best way I can describe what your kisses do to me. I've never felt like that about any other girl I've kissed before."

"Really?" Bella said, incredulous. Riley nodded. "Not even Lily?" She questioned some more.

"Although Lily was my first real serious relationship, things felt quite different. Your lips are truly more special and our relationship means everything to me. I couldn't say that about mine and Lily's relationship. And I have to say that I feel that way about your touch as well and the high I get is rather addicting."

"Is that why you're so handsy?"

"You betcha," Riley confirmed, emphasizing his point by stroking his hands down the length of Bella's arms, causing goosebumps to form on her skin in the wake of his touch. "I love touching you. Somehow, I always feel the need to be in constant contact."

"So, you really want me to stop kissing you?" Bella asked, a twinkle in her eye and her tone teasing.

"Nooo...that would be devastating. I just want you to stop being such an amazing kisser."

Bella giggled. "Baby, I don't know how to kiss any other way."

"Of course not. You're good at everything you do, so why wouldn't you be a great kisser, too?"

"Aww...thank you for all your kind words, but I think you're biased and exaggerating again."

"I may be biased because I'm your boyfriend," Riley started.

Bella just had to interrupt, "Mmm...boyfriend. I really like the sound of that. Is that weird of me?"

Riley gave Bella a soft peck on the top of her nose, before continuing, "I like the sound of it, too. I don't think I'll ever find you weird. But, where was I? Oh, yeah. I may be biased, but I'm not exaggerating. I almost don't want to think about how you got to be such a great kisser. I also don't want to think about the consequences of me falling for you so hard." He watched Bella get her tell-tale embarrassed blush at his words, finding it adorable. He planted another soft peck, this time on her cheek.

Riley then continued on some more, "It's getting harder and harder to control myself. I feel like I should give you fair warning now. I'm afraid that we might get going and I won't be able to stop." Riley then let out a groan of frustration.

"Then don't," Bella simply remarked back.

Riley raised an eyebrow at Bella, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, then cleared his throat. He managed a response, "I think we'll both know if and when the time is right. There's no need to rush things."

Bella leaned her head back again on Riley's shoulder and her eyes gazed back out onto the ocean before them once more. She audibly sighed.

"Was that the way it happened with your ex-girlfriend?" She asked. "You guys waited until the timing felt right?"

Riley groaned again. "You don't really want to hear about that, do you?"

Bella's gaze averted from the ocean view and she craned her neck up, so that she could look at Riley and let him know that she was serious. "I do. I want to know. Tell me how things happened between the two of you."

"Why? I happen to think it's a highly inappropriate conversation for us to be having."

"It is not," Bella whined. "I think we'll have to talk about sex eventually. Besides, you kind of brought it up. So, please indulge me."

"I don't know if I should be talking with you about this," Riley groused.

"I'm not asking for the gory details, Riley. That's not what I'm asking and I don't want to hear all about you fucking Lily, exactly." Both Riley and Bella cringed at her words.

Bella continued on, "I've already had the talk. I know all about the mechanics, but it's the other things I really know nothing about. It's something I don't have any experience with and you do, and that's why I'm asking. I want to know how it happens for people like us. How do two people get to that point in their relationship? How did you and Lily get to that point? How did you guys approach the matter? I mean, you admitted to me that you guys weren't exactly in love, so how did you two become ready for such a serious step? Did you guys just start fooling around first and then it escalated from there? Did you guys set aside a time for it to happen? Or did it just happen spontaneously? Were you nervous? Scared? Excited? Do you know how she felt? What was it like?"

"Whoa! That's a hell of a lot of questions," Riley interrupted, stating the obvious. Bella paused and let out a small huff.

She then unwrapped herself from Riley's arms, threw the blanket off of her, then turned herself fully around, so that she could be face to face with Riley. She tucked her legs underneath her and sat back on her heels. She began to look nervous and started wringing her hands before her. She didn't exactly know how to express what else she wanted to say. Riley looked at her with concern.

He then said, "It looks to me like there's something more behind all your questions. You seem to be fishing for more than just answers. What is it? What's really on your mind? Why are we bringing this whole subject up anyway?"

Bella took a deep breath and exhaled before she continued on, her voice almost at a whisper, "Maybe I just want to know why it seems to be happening to everyone else around me, but not to me. Demetri and I never got passed the kissing stage. We never talked about moving further than that, or even experimented, let alone talked about going all the way. I know that he wasn't a virgin either, so I kind of figured that he would've wanted to do more. I mean, isn't that how it works? What I can't figure out is if he ever wanted more with me. Doing any other stuff besides kissing him kind of never occurred to me. Call me naive. Maybe I missed all the signs and he was just a gentleman, y'know, not wanting to take advantage of me. Now, I kind of feel like I didn't satisfy him in the relationship and that's possibly why we drifted apart. Or it could be that he just didn't want me in that way, and that was more the explanation I'm leaning towards. Now I question why. Like if there's anything wrong with me. Thinking about all that and finding out how we were so chaste compared to most other couples we knew is kind of messing with my head. I know we're pretty tame as well. I feel like I'm missing out. I can't help but feel like I'm undesirable or something."

Riley snorted. "Believe me, you're definitely not undesirable. Why would you talk that way? Aren't any of the hordes of admirers you have, plus having one smitten boyfriend, given you any indication as to how truly desirable you are?"

Inside, Riley was teetering between wanting to pound Demetri's face in for inadvertently hurting Bella's feelings, and wanting to thank Demetri for saving Bella all for him. Riley inwardly smiled at all the possibilities ahead for his relationship with Bella.

"Baby, if you don't already know, you're gorgeous," Riley continued to say. Bella scoffed at him, thinking that Riley was once again exaggerating. He ignored her response and carried on, "Not only that, you've got a great personality and that's not all. You're immensely talented and smart. You're kind and caring. You're an all around wonderful person. Any guy knows that they'd be lucky to have you as their girlfriend. I certainly knew you were something special from the moment I met you. If you must know, I thank my lucky stars each day that I'm with you. Sometimes I can hardly believe that you chose me to be your guy."

"There you go being biased again," Bella said doubtingly. "I'm the one that can hardly believe that you're with plain ole me."

Riley chuckled at that. "Bella, you are far from being plain. Trust me. That's another thing that I love about you. You're so humble and self-deprecating. While other girls actually fish for compliments on a constant basis, you, on the other hand, tend to dismiss them. And, if there's one thing you're not, it's plain, baby."

"I can accept a compliment," Bella protested. "I just think that coming from you, it's biased and and an exaggeration. You say those things to me because you kind of have to since you're my boyfriend."

"Hasn't anyone ever said the same things I've said to you?" Riley questioned.

"Well, yes...," Bella started to say.

"So, you believe their words and not mine? Why? Because I'm your boyfriend?"

"Nah. I don't believe them either," Bella confessed. Riley just shook his head.

"Oh, baby, you don't see yourself clearly. I assure you that I'm only telling you the truth and I'm not doing it out of some sense of obligation because we're together. But, I'm glad that even with your popularity and success, you haven't gotten a big head. Although, I'd probably still love ya anyway." Riley then gave her another quick peck on her nose.

Bella blushed at Riley's words. It was very different receiving compliments from him. Maybe because this relationship with Riley felt different. Her feelings ran much deeper than she had ever felt for Demetri, or any of the other boys she had short-lived relationships with. She didn't know exactly why Riley had become the boy that captured her heart; it was just how she felt.

Her relationship with Demetri was easy, comfortable, and he had been a good boyfriend. Even after they broke up the way they did, Bella still couldn't utter a bad word about him. Circumstances out of their control caused them to drift apart. However, in looking back now, she realized that while they both cared for one another, they hadn't fallen in love with one another. They had never uttered the words and Bella's feelings never felt as intense as the feelings she has for Riley. She imagined it was about the same for Demetri. If he hadn't left, Bella figured that they would've stayed together until they just fizzled out eventually, or someone better came along. Maybe her relationship with Demetri might've even ended horribly had things turned out differently and Bella wouldn't have wanted that. She thinks that things ended between them exactly right.

Maybe there was a bigger plan for her after all. She couldn't have been more grateful for the twist of fate which now allowed her to be with Riley.

For the first time, Bella knew what it felt like to be in love. After dating Riley only a couple of weeks, she knew she had fallen hard and fast for the adorable boy with the oceanic blue eyes and he had her heart. Riley had found a permanent place there; a place that no other boy before him had, with maybe the exception of Edward. Of course, Bella's love for Edward was quite different from her love for Riley.

Riley was just absolutely amazing to her and a whole new world was opened up to her. It wasn't a perfect relationship by any means, but they've overcome every hurdle, and that's why Bella feels that her and Riley's relationship is much stronger than anything she ever had Demetri. Her relationship with Demetri may have been too perfect.

At first, while Bella knew that she already liked Riley a whole lot, she couldn't explain why her heart would always beat differently whenever she was around Riley. He always caused butterflies in her stomach, but in the good way. He seemed to always sweep her off her feet and take her breath away. There were definitely intense feelings swirling inside of her. That was her clue as to why being with Riley was different from being with all the rest of her past boyfriends.

After she explained to her mom by phone, the fluttering she'd get in her heart and stomach whenever she even just thought of Riley, which was often, her mom confirmed that she was indeed experiencing her first love. Her mother had told her that she had felt the exact same way when she had first started dating her father. After hearing that from her mom, everything clicked inside Bella's head and heart.

Bella was in love and she couldn't be happier. Bella couldn't have wished for a better boy to have fallen in love with than Riley.

Initially, she had kept the revelation to herself, afraid of how Riley would react to her profession of love. It seemed too soon, but then again, she had never been in love before, so how would she know when the timing was right to utter the words. She also didn't want Riley to think she was just a foolish, love struck girl. Well, it turned out, that she had nothing to be afraid of.

A short time after that talk Bella had with her mom, Riley confirmed to her that he had fallen in love with her, too. They exchanged the words during a romantic, moonlit picnic on their cliff side. Riley said he could no longer hold it in and that he already sort of knew from the moment they shared their first kiss. Bella took it upon herself to confirm her feelings for him and ever since then Bella has felt like she is on Cloud 9 and would never come down from those heights again. Her relationship with Riley meant everything to her; it wasn't just comfortable like she had with Demetri. She knew that it would literally be too hard now to live life without him.

Riley and Bella have been practically inseparable. Bella finally felt the joy of having a boyfriend in school with her. Riley took her to school every day, not that Demetri didn't do that on occasion as well, but this time Riley picked her up consistently each morning and they got to walk into school together. She loved the fact that Riley would meet her at her locker every break period and walk hand-in-hand with her to all her classes, even if it made him have to run to get to his own classes on time. Riley got along with all her friends and she got along with all of his, and it became just one big integrated group.

Bella also loved being able to share her lunch period with Riley. Sometimes they'd have lunch with all their friends, while at other times, they'd choose to go off by themselves and have a quiet lunch either in the school courtyard when the weather permitted, or inside the AV room, which was deserted during the lunch hour, but fortunately for them, Riley had a key since he was the AV club president.

It was just very nice to have Riley around. Admittedly, for Bella, it was also very nice to have a boyfriend to parade around the school. It kept her many admirers at bay and the girls that had crushes on Riley backed off as well. Bella wondered why she had never thought to have a boyfriend at school with her before, because it has been the best thing.

Riley would pick her up after her last class and they'd head home together, sometimes hanging out at either his house or hers for a short time before parents came home. They'd work on homework together or just relax after a long day at school. Bella found it very beneficial to have an upper classman as a boyfriend, since Riley's able to help her with particularly difficult assignments and can give her pointers on how to handle certain testy teachers, nerve-wracking tests, or tasking projects because he'd been through it before already.

Riley was also Bella's calming force when she'd get herself worked up over school-he'd never allow her to become too stressed over anything school-related. Unlike her past boyfriends, Riley could relate to why Bella the things she'd freak-out about regarding school, because he went to school with her and could understand. Sometimes, he and Edward would already be on the ready to calm poor Bella down even before she'd expressed her ire; they just knew her all too well.

Of course, Riley and Bella used their alone time to be intimate with one another; just like other young couples. But, unlike some others, they only kissed and went as far as making out. Riley hadn't even touched her yet the way Bella wanted him to.

It was because Bella loved Riley that she wanted to do more with him than just kiss and have the occasional make-out session. She felt that she was ready for more. More importantly, she wanted more with him.

Every time they'd make out, Bella's body would get heated, craving more than what Riley was willing to give at the time. He'd always leave her in a frustrated mess. She was left to explore

on her own and take care of things herself. She wanted to change all that. She wanted Riley as a willing participant.

Riley had droned on, not realizing that Bella had only been half paying attention. Bella was brought back from her own thoughts. "Why do you think there's like a line of guys out there that pant after you like puppy dogs? You seem to be aware of your many admirers, so you got to know that I'm not exaggerating. Just telling you the truth. I know I can certainly do without so many other dudes having their eyes on my girlfriend. Those same guys are just waiting for me to mess up, so they can possibly have their chance with you. I'm sure that many weren't thrilled that soon after ending things with Demetri, you started going out with me. I'm sure they've been trying and trying to woo you in their own little way. In fact, I've seen some of them, like that Eric guy trying to get you away from me. Speaking of, I should really put that Eric dude in his place."

Bella smirked. She found a jealous Riley completely adorable and endearing. Not to mention she kind of liked being considered Riley's possession. "I told you. I'm not interested in those other guys. They can pursue me all they want, but they're not going to have any luck. Besides the fact that they turn me off because they're too obvious with their crushes on me, I plan to stick with you for as long as you'll have me."

"Whew! That's a relief," Riley interjected. "I plan to stick with you too, babe. I love you madly, y'know."

"I love you, too," Bella proclaimed. Because they couldn't help themselves, she and Riley went in for another kiss.

"Riley, you still haven't really answered my questions from before." Bella retorted back, petulantly, after they broke apart from their latest bout of kissing.

"Okay. What is it do you really want to know again?"

"I think you know already," Bella whined.

Riley took a deep breath and exhaled it out slowly before he began. He looked deeply into Bella's brown eyes, clearly looking for something within her depths. "Bella, you know that I love you, so how can I not want you. I think that much is obvious. I already told you that your kisses make it hard for me to control myself. You mean everything to me."

"So, why do you hold back? Isn't it obvious that I want you, too?" Bella questioned.

Riley nodded. "Yeah, I've just become painfully aware now that you want more."

Bella added, "I want us to be together. I've thought about this for a while already and I know that I want my first time to be with you."

With Bella's confession, Riley was stunned and speechless. He really had no idea what he should say to what she had just said or how he was supposed to react. He just looked at her intently, although he had a feeling that he must've looked as uncomfortable as he felt. Sex wasn't exactly a topic he was ready to broach with Bella.

Bella chose to ignore Riley's look of discomfort, took a deep breath, and quickly fired off what had been on her mind, "Look, I'm not suggesting that we go all the way right away. I don't quite know if I'm ready for that. Maybe we can work up to it. I just know that it's become really hard for me to control myself as well. When we're together, I crave more than just your touch and your equally amazing kisses. I want you, but it's like I can't have you. I feel frustrated when I'm left wanting. I just feel like we could be so much more than we are now. Like I said, I'm willing to work up to the big thing. I want to try to do other stuff with you first; see how things are between us and if we can be good together in that way. I'm not expecting anything epic by any means. I know we're not part of a fairytale and I'm realistic enough to know that it always going to be a piece of cake or something like you read about in those romance books. I know I'm inexperienced, but I'm eager to learn. You know I'm a fast learner. Riley, I want to try to do other stuff with you. I want to learn to make you happy. I want to be able to keep you interested and satisfied being with me."

"Bella, I'm already happy. I'm happy just to be with you. Believe me, I don't feel I'm lacking something just because we're not more intimate. I assure you that I'm perfectly satisfied with the way things are between us and I'll always be interested in you. You're not exactly the kind of person one can lose interest in quickly. Like I keep telling you, you're very special."

Bella looked confused. "So, was that your way of telling me that you don't want me? That you don't want to do more?"

"Nooo...not at all," Riley said adamantly. "Of course, I want you. I want to do more. I thought we already established that. It's just...well, how do I say this without sounding like a jerk to you? Look, Bella, baby, you don't need to feel pressure to do more with me just because you feel that every other couple out there is doing more. We're not in any hurry here. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are between us. Please don't ever think you need to push to do more just because you feel it's what's expected or that I'll be unhappy or unsatisfied. We don't have to follow in the footsteps of others. Just because we're a couple that isn't doing it, it doesn't mean that we're less committed to one another than those that are. Believe me, having sex isn't a sign of how committed or how happy a couple is together."

"I don't quite understand," Bella uttered.

"You tell me that you want more and that you want it with me. That's great and wonderful. I just want to make sure that you feel that way for all the right reasons."

Bella looked perplexed. This wasn't exactly how she pictured this conversation was going to go with Riley. Wouldn't most boys have said, "hell yeah", and we're good to go? However, it made Bella appreciate what a truly special guy she had in Riley. He seemed to want to make sure that more was what she really wanted and that she wasn't just playing on her insecurities or wanting to give into peer pressure.

"I know what I want," she simply replied.

"Are you sure you do? Because it's a very big step. It isn't something that should be taken lightly. You know that you have me either way."

"You think I'm too young, don't you?" Bella huffed. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in irritation. "Wasn't Lily my age when you deflowered her?"

"I don't. Really, I don't. You already said that it seems that everyone else around you is doing it. Obviously, you're not too young. It has nothing to do with age, baby. It's more readiness, willingness, timing...the right place and the right moment. And, you have a point about Lily. But that was a completely different situation. We lost our virginity together. Things are hardly the same."

"Then you're kind of fussing because you don't think I'm ready," Bella bemoaned.

"It's not that. If you're talking to me about it, then you're obviously ready. Well, up until a little while ago, I wasn't sure if you were even willing."

"Oh, I'm willing," Bella interjected.

"Okay, fine. Just know that I'm not rejecting you. I'm just looking out for you. It's not that I don't also want to do certain things with you, because I do. Believe me, I do." Riley paused and took a deep breath. Having this kind of talk with Bella was already affecting him in ways he didn't feel was appropriate at the moment. Riley continued, "I love you and of course I want to show you how much I do. However, I'm not the kind of guy that's going to force you into something you may not be ready for, just for my own selfish benefit. If it happens, I want it to happen when naturally. I don't think we need to overthink it or initiate anything. I think we'll just know that the time is right."

"We will?" Bella questioned.

"I can't really explain it. In my heart, I know that if we just let our feelings guide us, then there'll be a right time to do all the things we want to do. There's no need to force it. I don't feel at all that there's any hurry or that we need to push ourselves."

"Do you think that's how other couples like us become...um, intimate? Was it that way for you and Lily?" Bella asked, feeling naive.

"No, that's not how it happened between Lily and me. That's why I want to...am doing things different with you. Everything about mine and Lily's relationship was a whirlwind. We threw caution out the window and quickly hurled ourselves to that point just because we figured it was the next natural step, and yeah, because everyone else around us seemed to have gone further. We didn't want to be left behind. After a while, we were just together because of it. It became mindless and meaningless. It was no longer about getting to know one another, connecting, or even going on dates anymore; it was all about getting together to fuck, to be quite frank. We lost the whole point of why we even got together in the first place. We lost ourselves. Then the sex wasn't enough to keep us together anymore, since there was nothing else left between us. We never really built on our relationship and so we spiralled out of control, then it was over. It didn't feel good to be together anymore and we couldn't fix it, probably because we never established a good foundation for our relationship in the first place. I don't want us to end up like that. There's no way I want us to end up using one another like Lily and I did. I realize now that getting to that stage in a relationship should mean more and I want it to be more. That's what I want for us, especially because you mean so much more to me."

"I am ready,y'know" Bella murmured, confirming to him once more what she wanted, and to prove her point, she kissed Riley with all the passion she could muster.

Riley broke away, breathless once more. The ferocity of Bella's attack surprised him and admittedly, aroused him; however, it was neither the time or place to have them do more. Admittedly, though, moving further with his relationship with Bella, even if it was just baby steps, frightened him. Something he would never openly admit to her, fearing her reaction. However,

that was what he had been thinking about of late.

He had never loved or felt as strongly for any girl as he feels for Bella. Being able to make love to her the way he wanted to would be the ultimate highlight of their relationship. But, he knew, it would also leave him quite vulnerable. After they shared something that special, Riley felt that his heart would probably never belong to another again.

That's what scared him the most-thoughts of being ruined for other women, in case things didn't work out with Bella. At least, if he never knew how good it felt to be with her, he wouldn't feel like he was missing out something. Not that he planned on leaving Bella anytime soon. What if Bella left him? What if they really weren't meant to be or grew apart? Losing Bella would be something that would take a long while for him to recover from, if he could recover at all. He already knew that he couldn't bear to be apart from her.

It wasn't as if those possibilities never entered his mind. Separation was looming over the horizon. He was a senior and Bella was only a sophomore. He was getting ready for college and would have to leave Bella behind to finish her studies in high school. At this point, he didn't know yet how much distance will be between them after he graduated, as he had yet to start receiving acceptances. What he did know was that some of the schools he'd applied to were a long way from Forks.

Before he'd started dating Bella, his colleges of choice were all practically a world away from Washington. He only applied to the schools that were top ranked the field of computers that he wanted to study. While he had checked out schools in Washington, none of the schools could really offer him what he wanted as far as classes went and help with his future plans. He really wanted to attend a school that would fast-track him into a career in computers. He chose to forgo applying to any school in Washington.

His priorities definitely changed once he was together with Bella. He scrambled to get his applications to the colleges in Washington that he could stoop to attending in the mail by the deadlines. Riley knew, though, that once the acceptance letters start to arrive, he'd find himself at a crossroads. While he'd definitely like to attend the computer field-centric universities that ranked high on his list and would be ecstatic to be accepted to those universities, the thought of being so far away from Bella pained him. Even resorting to attending the University of Washington in Seattle still seemed too far away from the girl he loved. He could just attend Port Angeles College, which would definitely allow him to stay near Bella, but he knew he would never be happy there, plus he felt he would just be wasting time, waiting for the two years until Bella was able to graduate.

Then, in looking even further ahead, if he and Bella were even still together, he knew that he and Bella were headed for very different college paths with Bella most likely going to attend a school for music. It would be a shame for Bella to have a voice like hers and not do anything with it. The top-ranked schools in the field of computers didn't necessarily have the best music programs, if they had music studies at all. Maybe Bella wouldn't even need to attend school. She'd be discovered and launch straight into a music career and possibly stardom.

Again, that all led to Riley thinking about losing Bella. If she became a big star, he wasn't so sure that he wouldn't be left behind in favor of the fame. He'd heard of countless stories where that's happened in the celebrity world.

Riley would like nothing more than to be able to take Bella with him wherever his future college plans would take him. Actually, if he was to be perfectly honest, he'd like nothing more than to be able to have Bella for always. He can't imagine becoming attracted to anyone else, not even the college girls, let alone loving anyone else. While he did think about proposing to Bella, or at least the two of them making some promise of commitment for the future, he was hugely aware that Bella was still too young yet. While she was certainly more mature than most other girls, even girls that were of his age, he thought it would be quite unfair to have her tied to him with her being so young-she still had her whole life before her with numerous, endless possibilities. He didn't want to limit her. Furthermore, all his ideas of avoiding separation for them once he graduated were all impractical. He and Bella loved one another, so they owed it to each other to not hold each other back. He knew that Bella would never allow him to attend a school less than stellar just so they could remain close to each other, just like he wouldn't allow for Bella to throw a real chance at a music career away because he was afraid she'd leave him behind.

Some sort of separation was going to be inevitable. It was going to be up to them both to not let it destroy their relationship.

The thoughts of his impending separation from Bella after graduation weighed heavily on Riley's mind. This was partly why he hadn't been able to act upon the urges that screamed for him to become more intimate with Bella. He knew that once they fell over that edge together, there was no turning back. It would make their separation all the more difficult.

Bella was indeed something special. Every day with her, the qualities that drew Riley to Bella in the first place would get reaffirmed. He'd fallen more and more in love. Now, he was just hopeless. Riley really didn't know how he was going to handle graduating and the possibility of going away to school and being apart from her.

However, at the moment, with the way Bella was spreading delicious kisses around his jaw and neck, he couldn't think of what laid ahead for them. He could revisit the topic another day when his girlfriend didn't feel so lascivious. All Riley's mind could focus on was the feel of Bella's lips on his skin and how fantastic it felt, sending shivers up and down his spine, which had nothing to do with the cold. Bella was further demonstrating that she was ready for more.

Bella was definitely seducing him now and doing a good job at it. The growing bulge in Riley's pants was starting to become uncomfortable. Bella's fingers tickled as she grappled with his clothes trying to expose more skin for her lips to touch. As much as he was enjoying this, Riley knew, however, that now was neither the time nor the place for he and Bella to start moving into new territory with their relationship.

For one, now that it was later, the air had grown much colder; cold enough for Riley to feel Bella start to shiver in his arms, even though her breath felt white hot against the skin on his neck. The fire and the blanket was no longer providing adequate heat. It would be extremely uncomfortable for the both of them to even make out at their special spot now.

Secondly, it was time to take Bella home. Riley would never betray Chief Swan's trust by not getting Bella home at the time he designated, even though he wasn't even going to be home himself. Charlie had wanted to make sure that Bella was safe at home before the night got too cold and Riley was going to obliged. He didn't want Bella out in the cold either.

Lastly, he still wanted to take things slow with Bella. He wanted to continue to nurture their relationship before they took that huge step, especially since she was still a virgin. As much as Bella felt she was ready, Riley knew that she still wasn't. There was still a lot for her to learn and a lot for him to do and teach her before they continued to round the bases, so to speak. But, Riley certainly wasn't opposed to continuing their make-out session on Bella's couch before her father returned from the station.

As hard as it was to tear herself away from the task of getting her boyfriend all hot and bothered, Bella allowed him to take her home. At first, she had been very annoyed when Riley stopped her mid-unbuttoning his jacket. She was determined to continue exposing more of Riley's skin, so that she could press her lips to those spots hiding underneath his layers of clothes. He had a point, though, about being outside in the cold. Despite the heat she was feeling by being close to Riley, there was no mistaking the chill in the air. Once she felt a shiver that wasn't due to Riley's proximity, she was ready for the warmth of Riley's car.

Making out on her living room couch was much more comfortable. They hadn't done anymore than that, or gone any further, except that this time, Bella was finally able to get Riley shirtless and feel the smooth plains of his chest and the rippling muscles of his abs. If Bella knew that Riley was hiding that body underneath his clothing, she would've tried to get him naked sooner.

Although, they didn't get naked like she wanted, Bella was satisfied with what she had gotten and what she and Riley accomplished. They had talked and they had made progress in their relationship. She looked forward to exploring some more with Riley, now that they both knew where they stood on the matter.

As for all of Riley's concerns, he could never think clearly when he was making out with Bella, so in the meantime, those concerns were forgotten. In fact, those concerns always left his mind whenever his lips were pressed against Bella's. He and Bella would have to just cross the bridge when they got there.

* * *

**End A/N:** Here's the teaser for Chapter 9:

"_He slept here last night," Riley repeated._

"_Yeah, well, he broke up with Heidi and it was hard for him. He was upset, having a difficult night, and needed a friend," Bella explained._

"_More like he needed you," Riley clarified._

Chapter 9 is done and also will get posted. Consider it my penance for not having posted in a while. Posting, and finding the time to write for that matter, never works out the way I want to. UGHHH! If I can only just lock myself in a room or get away and completely concentrate on writing-that would be my dream come true. I guess I just keep on dreaming and keep trying to do my best.

Thanks for your continued patience and understanding with me, readers. It is greatly appreciated! Believe me! Maybe there's just one of you left-tee hee. Regardless, thanks for reading as always.

~xOxOxO~

Allow me a moment to ask for your thoughts and prayers for my friend, Jill. Jill needs all the love and light she can get at this time. Jill has been through so much in the past few days, and has experienced what I consider more stress, devastation, and sadness to last her entire lifetime. No one deserves to have gone through what Jill has recently gone through.

Jill was one of those folks directly affected by the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, CO. She watched as the fire moved closer and closer into town, spiralling out of control, feeling helpless and getting prepared for an eventual evacuation. She finally received the orders, and with little notice, she evacuated her home because the fire was already too close to her. Have you seen the pictures that have come out of wildfire? For several days she waited anxiously to see if the fire would ravage her street and her home would be one of those lost (there were 357 homes lost in this lone wildfire in Jill's neighborhood). Can you just imagine?

She was one of the lucky ones and was able to return to her home. Thankfully, there was minimal damage and the most she'd need to worry about was the smoke from the fire that was still burning, but at least no longer out-of-control and driven away from the heart of the city. It was a triumph. All of us friends were so happy for her, because that was certainly a scary thing to have gone through.

The joy of her house being spared by the wildfire was short lived as only a mere 24 hours later, she was given devastating news-her 18 year old son had suddenly passed. The reason doesn't really matter. I don't know if Jill would feel comfortable with me sharing the reason. You may, however, be able to guess how.

Upon hearing this news, I and the rest of Jill's friends were in complete and utter shock. I don't think anyone could've ever imagined for this to happen on top of

As a mother, and any mother can tell you, one of the hardest losses to experience is the loss of a child. Any loss of a child, through any circumstance, is simply a tragedy and heartbreaking. Jill must be beside herself with grief, although I'm sure she's soldiering on, trying to stay strong for her remaining son.

It's a senseless loss and after all she's been through already with the wildfire...I will never understand why things like this have to happen and I also don't understand why bad things have to happen to such good people. And Jill is definitely one of those good people in the world.

This is the kind of stuff that changes a person. I can only hope that all the love and support helps Jill to overcome this tragedy.

So, please take a moment to keep Jill in your thoughts and send her up some love and light.

Lastly, because you never know what tomorrow will bring, love everyone you love hard, give them a hug, and tell them that you love 'em. Cherish every precious second and live life to the fullest.

~xOxOxO~

Er, sorry for the long note. I just had to do that for Jill.


	13. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Well, here's Chapter 9!

My continued thoughts and prayers for my friend, Jill.

**REVIEWS ARE OH SO NICE,**

**SO WOULD YOU PLEASE BE SO KIND?**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Edward's Broken Heart**

It was late at night and Bella was ready to crawl into bed. The steadily falling rain, the raindrops rhythmically tapping on her window pane, made Bella all the more sleepy. Bella has always felt that a decent rainfall was very conducive to sleeping and she was eager to make her way over to dreamland.

Bella had her favorite lullaby playing softly from her CD player, further lulling her into sleep. She had finished reading for the night and had put her book away and was comfy and cozy in her bed underneath the warmth of her covers. She closed her eyes and was just about to give herself over to sleep when she heard a louder tap on her window. It wasn't a sound coming from her CD player and it didn't sound at all like heavier rain or even hail falling, so with a sigh and heavy feet, Bella got out of bed to check what was making the now irritating noise.

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin as she went to her window to take a look and saw Edward's face pressed up against the glass, trying to peer in. She immediately opened the window and Edward agilely climbed inside. Edward was soaked and already dripping puddles on Bella's hardwood floor.

Bella eyed him up and down, wondering why he was currently in her bedroom at such an hour. Furthermore, she wondered what he was doing out in such weather and why he hadn't thought to just use the front door to come inside; better yet, why hadn't he just called or texted her. Something was definitely up with him.

Edward moved in for a hug which he so desperately needed from Bella at the moment, but Bella moved away and shook her head. There was no way she was hugging him in his state. She needed him somewhat dry first; she had already taken her shower and the last thing she wanted was to get her PJ's all wet. Bella shuffled off to the linen closet just outside her room and grabbed a couple of towels for Edward to use and a rag to wipe up her floor. Edward was left standing there by her window, confused. Bella returned a short time later not only toting towels, but also some dry clothes for Edward to change into. She quickly put the pile into his hands and then went down to wipe up the puddle pooling at his feet.

"Seriously, Bella?" Edward questioned, his irritation clear in his tone. "I kinda need you now."

"I figure or you wouldn't be here. Sorry if you think it's cruel of me, but there's just no way I'm gonna give you a hug while you're soaking wet like this. Dry up first and then we can talk."

Edward glared at Bella for a beat before he started wiping himself down a little with one of the towels she had given him. He knew there would be no point to argue with her and it was best that he just did what she said.

"Is your dad home?" He thought to ask on his way out of Bella's room heading for the bathroom. Meanwhile, Bella followed him along wiping the trail of water he was leaving.

"Did you see the cruiser out front?"

"Well, no...," Edward started to reply.

"Then he's obviously not home," Bella interjected. "Which is why I don't understand why you couldn't just have rang my doorbell instead of hanging out there on the tree like a monkey and getting yourself soaked."

Edward walked into the bathroom and left the door marginally open, so he could continue to talk to Bella. He began to strip out of his wet clothes and again used the towels to dry off.

"Gah...I wasn't really thinking," he responded. Bella was just right outside, her back propped up against the railing of the stairs. She made sure not to look through the crack of the bathroom door, knowing that Edward was getting naked in there.

Bella giggled, then she retorted back, "I kinda figured you weren't really thinking."

"It's just that it's so late and it didn't really occur to me that no cruiser meant your dad wasn't in. I mean he could've parked it in the garage."

"Since when have you known my dad to park his cruiser in the garage?"

"You have a point. I just didn't want to take the chance that he might not let me in. I also didn't know if you had already gone to sleep. The lights were dim in your room. Even if your dad wasn't home, I was afraid that you might not hear the doorbell. I thought it would be better to just tap on the window."

"And risk yourself catching pneumonia, as well as break your neck in the process," Bella said scoldingly.

Edward stepped out of the bathroom, all dried. He was wearing a set of Charlie's sweats, which were still a little too big for him, but it was all Bella had as far as men's clothing went. Bella had noticed, though, that Edward was filling out nicely. He was definitely starting to look more man than boy at this point. She could see why his popularity with the girls had only grown.

"Like I said, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly. I got a lot on my mind. Hey, you're not even gonna rag on me about wanting to wake you up?

"Waking me up wouldn't be any big deal, but you getting sick or falling out of that tree would be."

"M'kay. Sorry. But nothing happened to me, though."

"You're lucky nothing did. I wouldn't know how to explain it to your folks or my dad. Just try not to do that again. You could've called or texted me first, y'know."

"No, I couldn't. You shut your phone off every night after Riley says good night."

"You have a point there."

"Hey, don't be mad. I'm a guy. Aren't you the one that always says that us guys do stupid stuff all the time without thinking?"

"I'm not mad. Just letting you know that you should know better."

"It was fun. Don't know how I never thought of it before. So, you're not mad. That means I can stay."

"You can stay. I know you need to talk."

"That I do. So, uh, what do you want me to do with the wet stuff?"

"Just leave them there. I'm too tired to do anything about them now. They'll dry a little and if they don't get completely dry I can throw them in the dryer in the morning before you go home. My dad said that he wouldn't be home till after lunch."

"That's a good thing. I can sneak out of here before any of our parents are the wiser."

"I'll go set the alarm," Bella muttered in response.

Bella began to walk back into her room, expecting Edward to follow, however, Edward stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and Edward immediately put her in an embrace. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, relishing the contact with his best friend. He needed this hug badly. Only Bella could offer him the comfort he needed.

In turn, Bella wrapped her arms around Edward, squeezing him to her. Concern was now all over her face. She realized that this wasn't any ordinary late-night visit. Something was seriously wrong, because she'd never seen Edward upset like this.

"Hey, what's going on?" She asked, caring.

That's when Edward couldn't help but start to break down. He mumbled against her shoulder repeatedly, "It's over. It's just over."

Bella couldn't quite understand him between his tears, his snivelling, and the mumbling into her shoulder. She pulled away and then clasped his face, making him look at her. Edward looked completely broken and Bella's heart went out to her best friend. Edward wasn't a crier, so for his face to be tear-stained like it was, Bella knew there was something major they needed to talk about, and this wasn't the usual teenage drama that they usually came to one another with to discuss.

"Oh, poor Edward. Something is definitely the matter, isn't it? It's big." For which he nodded.

"Okay. I think it's going to be a long night. Do you need me to get you anything first? Maybe I'll go make us some hot chocolate or something?"

Edward nodded his head "no" vigorously. "I just need you," he told Bella softly.

"Okay, come."

Bella took Edward by the hand and led him into her room. She then laid down on her bed, making sure to lay a bit more upright, so Edward would have room to lay with her. Edward followed suit. He laid down beside her, resting his head once again on her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame while she held him with one arm and the other hand gently stroked the hair on his head. They stayed cuddled like that for a time. Bella stayed quiet and continued to be motherly to Edward as he cried himself out. Having Bella with him like this, though, did much to calm Edward down and ease the heartache he was feeling.

When Edward's tears started to quell, Bella softly asked, "Are you ready now to tell me everything?"

Edward nodded, got the last of his bawling done, then took a deep breath. He then began to explain, "I was such a fool. I never wanted to believe all the bad stuff you guys kept spouting to me about Heidi. I was so blind. But, you guys were right. She is the skank whom all of you had been warning me about."

Bella gasped. "Oh my God. What happened?"

"I caught her tonight...with another guy. Actually, a lot of other guys, but that's beside the point. While she was entertaining all the other boys, she definitely had her tongue stuck down this one dude's mouth. By the looks of it, how intimate they were, I'm willing to bet she's probably doing more stuff with this dude and he seems to know her really well. They all seem to."

"Really?" Finding hard to believe that Heidi would screw up so badly. While there were rumors of her stepping out on Edward, no one had been able to catch her in the act physically and she'd always been able to defend herself to Edward because there was really no proof, just talk. "How? Who? When?" Bella stuttered, stunned.

"It was just by accident. She didn't want to hang tonight and I thought that was fine. We had been spending an awful lot of time together. Maybe even too much. I didn't want to just hang around and do nothing all night, however. So, I thought I'd tag along with Emmett, Rosalie, and a couple of the other guys on the football team who were heading to Port A. They were all fooling around and I guess I just wasn't into the company after all. I veered off on my own and checked out that bookstore you always liked down there and took the back exit. Since I wasn't quite familiar, I sorta got lost and then that's when I spotted her."

Bella interjected, "You spotted her?"

"Yeah, I was walking down the alley trying to find my way down to the main street and then I thought I heard her voice. I was curious, so I followed the sound. Sure enough it was her. She was walking down the street with the group of guys. The one guy had his arm around her."

"And then that's when you saw them kiss?"

"Not quite yet. You could imagine, I was a disturbed by what I saw and I had to know more."

"You followed them," Bella interjected, knowingly.

"Yeah, of course."

"Oh, Edward, that could've been dangerous. You just don't know about those guys. Heidi isn't known for hanging with the best people, besides you, of course."

"Nothing to worry about. They were oblivious to me. They were all wrapped up with themselves and they were reeking of alcohol. I kept my distance and was well-hidden as I followed them. I lurked and took in everything before me. They ended up hanging around this fountain at a park nearby. They were acting up and being silly. Typical high school stuff. Heidi, as usual, was lapping up the attention and being just as wild with the guys."

"That must've been hard on you," Bella said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Edward acknowledged. "It was making me sick to my stomach, especially hearing what they were all talking about and how Heidi was behaving. I was actually even brought up in their conversation."

"Really?" Bella exclaimed, going wide-eyed again.

"It appears it's been all a lie between us. She was just using me to look good for her parents, so that they'd continue to let her have her freedom; otherwise, they were planning to ship her off to some ultra strict all girls private school run by some nuns out in the middle of nowhere and that was going to be the end of her fun. She couldn't have that."

Bella interjected, unable to contain her opinion, "I think Heidi actually needs a school like that to set her straight. She's just so wild."

"Yeah, she's wild. But, I don't think any kind of school could change her. She's a sneaky little b... Anyway, she probably would've found a way to get herself expelled from that school too, and then what options are her parents left with? It doesn't matter now. It wasn't like she planned on ever going. You see, I was kind of her cover. She pretended to be interested in the tutoring to make her parents think she was actually trying to turn her ways around. She was never interested in trying to improve her grades or do better in school. She just used it as a way to get to me. I was stupid enough to fall for her ploys. What better way to further convince mummy and daddy than to start dating the tutor, right? It was all fake bullshit."

"But, it couldn't have just been all an act, Edward. Some things she couldn't have just faked, no matter how good of an actress she was. I mean, you guys were...er, intimate together, and well, she couldn't have been that much of a cunt that she just faked that intimacy. I'm sure she has more respect for herself than that."

"I don't know about that. But, maybe you're right. She could've always said no to me when I was ready to take things further in our relationship. Heidi is wild and loose. I guess the, uh, intimacy is always a part of what you get when you're with her."

"I'm sure you benefited nicely, even if she's a skank," Bella said snarkily.

"I can't argue with that, but the fact remains that she'd been playing me for a while. And, worse yet, I think that guy she was with, seems to be her _real _boyfriend. From the way they were talking, they've been together the whole time we were dating. Maybe even earlier."

"He could be the guy that the kids down at the reservation have been saying Heidi's been seeing. Did he look Quileute or Native American? How about the rest of the group?"

"No. But, well, maybe. I don't know. I couldn't really tell from my vantage point, plus it was dark. They could've just been surfers for all I know."

"Then maybe not. I wouldn't be surprised if Heidi is stringing along more than a few guys. Y'know, I'm actually surprised that she hadn't ended up getting pregnant yet. I mean, you would think with her...behavior."

"Well, if she does, it wouldn't be mine. We have always been safe. I've insisted on it."

"Thank God! I'm glad you've been smart."

"Believe me, no one can be more relieved than me, especially knowing what I know now. The dude Heidi was with seems to know all about her...shall we say indiscretions. He didn't seem to mind and more than that, he wasn't opposed to sharing. In fact, the group was discussing some fun times all together later on, if you catch my drift, and Heidi wasn't at all opposed to it."

Bella felt sick. Her heart went out to her best friend having had to endure all of what he saw. "Ewww, gross," she exclaimed. "I bet it was really hard to take." Edward nodded.

Then Edward continued, "Gah, maybe it was just because they were all drunk or something that the conversation turned in that direction. I can't say and who knows what Heidi is up to now. She was definitely blatantly flirting with all the guys. I watched him kiss her and she kissed him back with feeling and they didn't really mind putting on the display. It was a lot to take in and painful."

"I can only imagine. Shit. What did you do next?" Bella questioned. "Did you want to hurl? Did you hurl? Did you reveal yourself and that you caught her?"

"Well, I didn't throw up, no matter how my stomach turned. After I couldn't take any more, I showed myself to them," Edward began to relay.

Bella interjected once more. " Geez," she exclaimed. "How did that go?"

"You know, I was stunned, but I needed to confront her. I didn't say...I couldn't say much but I did let Heidi know that I wasn't gonna be her fool any longer and it was over between us."

"What I wouldn't have paid to see the look on her face," Bella remarked.

"I didn't bother waiting for a response and just ran off."

"Aww...I'm so sorry, Edward," Bella responded. She could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Her heart really felt for Edward and what he had gone through.

"You can't be that sorry. You didn't like her and you certainly didn't approve of our relationship. You two never really got along."

"True," Bella admitted. "But, I am sorry that you had to get hurt."

"I thought that she loved me, Bella. At least, I believed her when she would lie to me. I know now that she was just trying to keep me on her leash. It was all part of her game. I thought I was the one that tamed her. The bitch! I thought I loved her, too. I was so stupid," Edward muttered, angrily.

"Can I be frank?" Bella asked, for which Edward nodded. "I don't think you loved her, Edward. I think you loved what she was doing to you and how good she was making you feel. I think you also loved being the envy of the boys at school. You guys flaunted your relationship all around town and in my opinion, that already made your relationship look superficial. You guys certainly didn't look like some of the other couples we know that really had fallen for one another, like Rose and Emmett, Ben and Angela, or Jazz and Alice."

"Or you and Riley," Edward added, causing Bella to blush at the mere mention of her boyfriend's name.

"Yeah. I get it," Edward continued. "Now I can see it all clearly. After I ran off from her, I did some hard thinking. In looking back, I guess the signs were there. The biggest thing, I realized was that she never looked at me the way you look at Riley, or how Alice and Rosalie look at my brothers. It was totally different. She faked her way through our relationship. And, you're right, deep inside I knew that she was bad news, but I wanted to keep her around for the, um, benefits. I guess I didn't want to really give that up, despite how our relationship was really more of a joke."

"She still managed to weasel her way into your heart, though, if only a little," Bella said, observantly. "I know that you cared for her even if you don't love her."

"It does sting. And, more than that, I'm angry at myself for letting her take advantage of me and for being so stupid to not have seen her true colors much earlier. I should've listened to you Bella when you tried to warn me about her."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. She's attractive and you thought she was into you. You liked her and so you weren't ready to see the truth about her. You can't blame yourself. I'm sure you haven't been the first one fooled nor burned by her. Well, things are over now. I can't say enough how that's a good thing."

"Tell me how you really feel, Bella," Edward retorted.

"I'm not gonna sugarcoat things, Edward. I'm glad she finally showed herself for what she is and she didn't have to lead you on any longer. It'll be nice to finally be rid of her from the group. You know that we friends just barely tolerated her and we only did it for your sake. She was no good for you and I'm happy that it's over. I do feel bad, though, for how you found out and how the breakup went down. I know it must suck to have to had break up with her and that you're very upset. Breakups are never easy for anyone, even if you're the one doing the dumping. No matter how long the relationship lasted, there's always some sort of attachment. You have more of an attachment to her because you two were intimate. Like I said before, I'm not sorry you ended things, I'm only sorry that you were hurt. This may be the last thing you want to hear, but it was for the best. Things seem bad now, but I assure, eventually it's gonna be okay. Heidi won't have any trouble moving on and I doubt she's currently mourning the loss of you, so keep that in mind. You're rid of her and now you can make a fresh start whenever you feel ready," Bella said, finally concluding her speech.

"Only good stuff ahead, right?"

"Absolutely," Bella said enthusiastically. "In the meantime, I'm here if you need me. I'll help you focus on how losing Heidi is actually the best thing that could've ever happened and I can even make you forget all about her."

"I know. That's what I love about you. Just like you tell me that I make things better for you when you're down, you do the exact same for me. It's why I knew I couldn't go anywhere else first. I had to come to you. I bet your brain is already concocting plans to help me get over her."

"Aww...,I may have a few up my sleeve," Bella stated. "So, you came straight here? How? Don't tell me you just walked all the way from Port Angeles to my house."

"Nooo...of course, not," Edward responded, sounding appalled. "I walked around for a bit, processing things and getting my head straight. I then found Emmett and Rose and told them that I had to really get back home, but I didn't explain. Thankfully, they didn't pry and just obliged. They were ready to head back anyway. I got home and moped around in my room for like five seconds before I knew that I just had to come see you. So, I climbed out of my window, down the balcony, and made my way here."

"Oh my God, Edward. No one knows you're even here?"

"It's not like anyone would notice or really care. Emmett just dropped me off and took off again with Rosalie, probably is still at her house. Who knows? If he came home, he probably thought I was just in my room. I hadn't seen Jazz all day. Mom's at some ladies retreat in Seattle till tomorrow and my dad's working another night shift. Everybody is just doing their own stuff. It should be fine. I should get back before anyone even realized I was gone at all. And, if I don't make it, I'll just tell them that I was with you. They won't even have to know I stayed over here. I could make something up like we went for an early run together and got breakfast."

"Oh, I don't want you to lie to your family. Maybe you should call someone. Just to let them know," Bella told Edward, wanting to act responsibly.

"Do I have to?" Edward whined. "It isn't like you're gonna tell your dad I was here. Can't we just leave things be? I really am not up to dealing with anyone else now or ready to offer explanations. If I tell either Jazz or Emmett that I'm here with you, they're gonna suspect something major has went down and then I'm gonna have to fess up and by tomorrow the whole town will know, if they don't already. I just want to keep it all on the DL for now."

"Well, the school is definitely going to know come Monday. Are you gonna be ready to deal with that?"

"I'll handle it. As long as I got you by my side, I should be fine. It'll be gossip fodder for a couple of days, then the school will move onto the next big story. Isn't that always the way?"

"You know that I'll always have your back. And, all of us friends won't let Heidi start anything or stir up trouble."

"I'd like to see her try. No way, she has it in her. I think she'll be more focused on trying to find her next victim." With that both Bella and Edward laughed, and Bella thought it was nice that Edward was lightening up.

Edward continued to talk and pour his heart out, while Bella continued to console and reassure him. They bantered back and forth well into the night until they both couldn't talk anymore and passed out together on Bella's bed from exhaustion.

The two friends were so tired by morning's light that even when the alarm went off, neither one of them could bring themselves to get up. Bella turned off the annoying beep of the alarm and she and Edward continued to sleep in.

It was Riley that gave both Edward and Bella their next morning wake-up call when he showed up at Bella's house, surprising her with breakfast. He had felt bad that he wasn't able to spend time with her the night before, so he decided to see her earlier than they had originally designated.

Bella promptly let Riley in and he was quick to notice Edward's presence. She quickly launched into an explanation, but she wasn't worried about Riley's reaction to another boy spending the night at his girlfriend's house. She knew that Riley knew better than to suspect that Edward staying over was anything other than innocent. At least, she thought that she didn't have to worry.

"He slept here last night," Riley repeated.

"Yeah, well, he broke up with Heidi and it was hard for him. He was upset, having a difficult night, and needed a friend," Bella explained.

"More like he needed you," Riley clarified.

"You're not upset, are you?" Bella had to ask.

"Don't worry, I trust you. Going into this between us, I knew that Edward came as sort of a package deal with you. You two are closer than close. I get that. Everyone in school knows about the bond you two have."

"There's a _but_ in there somewhere. I can already tell from your tone," Bella uttered.

"Baby, I know he's your best friend and all, but I just don't know how I feel about him having sleepovers with my girlfriend."

"It isn't like we're doing anything but talk and sleep," Bella pointed out.

"But, he slept in your room," Riley said, trying his best to control his voice. "I know you're just friends, but I think any guy would be a little wary of his girl being in the same room as another guy who isn't related."

"We're practically brother and sister," Bella whined.

Edward stuck his head out of the kitchen, feeling the need to interject so as to save Bella from getting further grief from her boyfriend. "It's all good, Riley. I slept on the floor. It isn't any big deal." Bella's eyes grew wide, knowing that Edward just lied for her, and as much as she loved Riley, she wasn't about to stir up trouble by disputing what Edward claimed.

"Well, that's good to know. Maybe next time, you'd try the couch," Riley responded back.

"I'll remember that," Edward answered, then disappeared back into the kitchen again to give Bella and Riley their privacy.

"Hey, are we okay?" Bella warily asked Riley. "You know I was just being a good friend."

"Oh, I'm not upset at you, baby. I was just thrown for a loop, since I didn't really expect impromptu sleepovers with Edward as being a part of the friendship I'd have to tolerate. Just don't, uh, do this often, m'kay; otherwise, I'd really start to get wary."

"You won't have to worry. These kinds of things don't happen much anymore and it hasn't been since we were both kids that we'd had a proper sleepover. It's just that he was very upset last night when he came to me. It was late, raining, and we were both tired, so I just couldn't see it in myself to turn him away and let him go home. This breakup hasn't been like all the rest. Breaking up with Heidi was really hard on him and he's pretty mad at himself for letting her fool him for so long."

"I can understand where he's coming from. It must've been tough for him to let go of her, all things considering. I mean, I know she wasn't the best girlfriend he could've had, but, nonetheless, he obviously grew attached to her, so any sort of break up would still be difficult. Add to that the fact that they were intimate, well, I know it's not easy. I've been there before."

"Aww...you are so great, you know that?" Thank you for being so kind and wise and giving me the benefit of the doubt and for not getting upset about it," Bella told Riley with a kiss afterwards to his cheek.

"He's lucky to have you," Riley simply responded.

Not that Edward was eavesdropping from the kitchen table where he was waiting for Bella to join him, but he heard that comment from Riley and he just had to respond. "Don't I know it," he called out and then added, "I'm forever grateful and indebted to your girlfriend. She helped me through a tough time last night."

"It was nothing," Bella responded as she and Riley appeared in the kitchen, hand-in-hand.

"There you guys are. Well, everything is ready as you can see. Let's dig in. By the way, Riley. You do know that your gal there is no ordinary girl. She's quite special."

"Don't I know it," Riley said with a smile. Bella felt the blush rise in her cheeks once more.

She let go of Riley's hand and left his side to go give Edward another hug. The three of them then settled into the table and dove into their breakfast that Riley brought. Fortunately, Riley had brought enough bagels and cream cheese, plus some bacon, eggs, and sausages from the local diner to feed all of them He had been thinking that it would be Bella's father that he'd be having breakfast with.

"So what about your dad?" Riley asked after they'd all had a few bites from their respective plates.

"He won't even have to know I was here," Edward responded, eying Riley, hoping to convey the meaning without having to actually spell it out fully for him. Riley understood and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank goodness he'd pulled a double-shift and he isn't due home till a little later. Edward can be out of here by then; otherwise, if my dad comes home earlier, I could just tell him that you and Edward showed up toting breakfast. No harm in that, I think."

"And what about his mom and dad?" Riley questioned.

"Well, my mom's in Seattle. My dad had the night shift at the hospital. I'm sure my brothers aren't even up yet. If I leave right after breakfast, none of them would even know that I was gone. I could just always give the half-truth that I was with Bella this morning. Tell them we went out for an early morning run together and had breakfast."

"Yeah, they'd buy that. No one really bats an eye whenever Edward and I say that we hung out together." Bella clarified.

"Well, I don't want Bella to get in trouble for what happened last night. Both of you just make sure that doesn't happen," Riley said adamantly. Edward and Bella both nodded.

They all continued breakfast, making small talk. Edward talked a little about Heidi to Riley, what he was comfortable sharing, and Riley lent a sympathetic ear, sharing his own experience with difficult breakups with Edward. Bella just sat quietly mostly and listened to the guys talk.

She loved that the two best guys in her life got along really well. She hoped that would continue. Bella was aware that it must not be easy for Riley to willingly share her with her male best friend, especially with how close she and Edward are. Most guys were naturally possessive and protective and therefore, would prefer that they be the singularly most important boy in their girlfriend's life. Of course, Riley could never have that with Bella. Like he had said, her friendship with Edward was part of the deal if he wanted to be with her. So far, he'd been very accommodating and Bella was grateful. Bella knew not all guys would be as understanding nor as approving of her close relationship with Edward.

She only recently found out that while Edward and Demetri got along for the most part, they'd had some arguments in the past about boundaries-specifically boundaries Demetri felt that Edward had no right to cross now that she was dating him. She couldn't fault Demetri. He was just looking out for his interests. After all, a close relationship between a girl and a guy that was completely platonic and the guy wasn't obviously gay was a rare thing; at least, in Bella's mind, what she had with Edward was something rare. She knew more often than not that feelings tend to become involved in friendships like that she had with Edward, and things could turn romantic and complicated rather quickly.

Even Bella, admittedly, tended to get a bit jealous on occasion of Riley's friends who were girls. But, fortunately, in her case, she knew that Riley didn't have nearly as close of a relationship with any of those girls like she had with Edward. She's able to breathe a little easier knowing that, so she definitely feels for Riley being in the position he's in. Again, another reason why she loved Riley all the more, because of how understanding he is of her relationship with Edward.

However, as close as she and Edward are, Bella remained confident that her friendship with Edward would remain just that-a platonic friendship. They loved one another, certainly, but it wasn't anything romantic. They will forever be connected to one another, but they'd always just be best friends for the rest of their lives.

That wasn't necessarily a sad prospect for Bella. She could imagine them growing up together, carrying their friendship into adulthood, and then raising their families together with Edward's wife becoming one of her close girlfriends and her husband becoming another one of Edward's good buddies, and their children would be close, like they were cousins. It was something she always envisioned happening. She and Edward were going to be like family.

Breakfast concluded and so did the dryer that was drying Edward's wet clothes from the night before. Edward took a quick shower, then changed, and was back at his house in plenty of time before Bella's dad even came home or his. Riley and Bella actually gave him a lift back to his house, since the rain started back up and they didn't want him to get soaked once more. His brothers were still not up. Not wanting to leave Edward alone, considering his recent heartache, Bella talked Riley into foregoing their date for the day in order to hang with Edward. They all just chilled and watched movies until Edward's brothers finally awoke sometime past noon.

Emmett and Jasper both had late nights. Emmett especially, who in being the oldest and the one with a vehicle, had to play chauffeur most of the evening. He and Jasper finally got in after Emmett picked up Jasper from Alice's house. When they got in, they had both figured that Edward had already gone to bed early, which explained why he was also up much earlier than them. After Edward explained his breakup with Heidi last night, Emmett and Jasper understood why Bella and Riley had been hanging with him for most of the morning.

As it turned out, no one had to worry too much about Edward and Bella's impromptu sleepover. Edward's brothers were none the wiser to it. Apparently, there had been some trouble that brewed overnight, a group of kids had gotten into a fight over at La Push, leaving Chief Swan to stay even longer at the station to sort out the mess. This trouble also directly impacted Dr. Cullen who, due to the two emergency patients that came into the hospital overnight because of the trouble, had to stay just a little longer as well.

With everyone finally being up, Bella had managed to organize an impromptu get-together with all of her and Edward's main friends. It was for Edward's sake and he was all for getting his mind off of his ex. Since, it was pouring out, the group had to remain indoors and so they headed out to their local Game Shack and spent the day playing the day away together.

Wanting a quiet day of rest and sleep, and looking forward to having their houses all to themselves, both Edward and Bella's fathers were grateful that the kids had plans for the day. After the night they'd had, they didn't care where the kids went, just as long as they'd be undisturbed.

As the days passed, and with all the things Bella had been spearheading to cure his ailing heart, things were getting easier for Edward. The pain he felt over the breakup lessened until it was just a dull ache. What he mostly had difficulty with was having to see Heidi in school on a daily basis, and worse yet, he could see that Heidi wasn't at all torn up about their breakup. She'd already found a quick replacement for him and had moved on to the next guy that fancied her. He felt sorry for that guy, but he wasn't going to interfere. He and Heidi, for the most part, ignored each other, which Edward was perfectly fine with. He'd never planned on trying to be friends with her afterwards anyway. She was a friend he didn't need nor ever wanted to have. He had all the friends he needed, and even if he only had Bella, she was enough to get him through and make things alright.

* * *

**End A/N: **Teaser for Chapter 10-all I will say is that it's Prom time.

Two more chapters to go till we reach the point in the story where my o/s, The Seduction Through Song, comes into play. Are we excited? Thought we'd never get there, huh? I can't wait, myself.

And please allow me one more moment to draw attention to the Fandom4Colorado charity. As you may or may not know, I live in Colorado. Our state has been burning, being ravaged by wildfires, after experiencing abnormally high temperatures, the hottest this state had ever seen, and long periods of drought. There are still 12 active wildfires that the firefighters are working throughout the state and for the poor firefighters, it has been like an endless cycle-they contain one wildfire, only to have another flare up (mostly from lightning strikes). There has been an exorbitant amount of devastation-lots of people have lost their homes and a lot of beautiful acreage burnt. The state's resources to fight these fires are being stretched beyond belief. Colorado could use your help, if you would be so kind. I'm grateful that the fandom has deem it fit to help out.

Please go check out the site for more information: fandomcause . info

I, myself, has signed up to be a contributing author for their fic compilation and will contribute 4 more chapters of my charity WIP story, Instantly. So, if you'd like to be one of those to be the first to read, consider donating to the charity in order to receive the compilation.


	14. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Well, here's Chapter 10! Yes, we've fast-forwarded in time for the sake of story flow. I want you all to use your imaginations a bit for the in-betweens. If I gave you every little detail, I think the story would become boring and rather stagnant-I've read stories like that (I won't mention any names) and I was dying for the story to just move on. I believe I give you guys enough of the highlights and what's important for the story. Erm, you can disagree with me in a review.

Minor word of warning: We're starting to delve into teenage sex territory. You may or may not approve of this and may even be strongly against it and find it highly inappropriate. However, it is in this story. I will make no apologies about it.

Personally, I don't necessarily believe in waiting to have sex till after marriage (I've just blasphemed my strict Catholic upbringing), but I do believe in waiting until you're in stable, committed relationship where it's an expression of your love for one another; so, basically, I don't believe in sleeping with every single person you date or don't even date (don't fall into bed with just anyone), but waiting for just the right people who'd you'd want to share the "magic" with, and whether it be one or a few more someones. Hopefully, not too many more someones before you start sticking to the one. Basically, I feel people should be more discriminant as to they're having sex with.

I do think teenagers are a little young to make this kind of decision, but you still never know. It all depends really on who the teen is and their maturity level. Some teenagers are in happily and committed relationships and I've seen them be in a more stable and mature relationships than ones some adults are in. I can only hope that the parents have done well to prepare their children.

That all being said, I'm a realist first and despite what all our beliefs are, we all know that teens do have sex. Some have it responsibly, while others do not. So, I'm just giving my characters some believability.

End of little rant. Feel free to argue & discuss your thoughts on this whole matter with me in a review.

Shout out to a lovely reviewer, MrsCullen 620, who left me a review that left me blushing and extremely flattered! Thank you! You wonderful readers and reviewers truly make my day and make taking time to write all worthwhile.

**WHOA! THIS STORY HAS SURPASSED 50 REVIEWS!**

**MUCH APPRECIATED!**

**NOW, DO WE THINK WE CAN GET IT TO 60 AND BEYOND?**

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**Chapter 10: The Night of Prom- Good Times and First Times**

_**May-Sophomore year...**_

Bella took another look at herself in the mirror and fiddled with her hair some more. It fell nicely in waves about her shoulders, just the way Riley liked, but Bella just wasn't sure she was satisfied with it. She debated on calling Alice and Rosalie for a fashion emergency, but she knew her two best friends were busy getting themselves ready just like her.

It was times like these that Bella wished she had her mom around. It wasn't as if she felt that her dad wasn't absolutely the best parent she could have and it was probably best that she only had contact with her mother through the occasional visit, phone calls, and emails; however, it was a time like this where she could really use her mother's help. She didn't feel like her father could help her with her hair.

She wanted to look perfect for Riley tonight and she just wasn't certain that she had achieved looking perfect for her love on this big night. Tonight wasn't just any regular date night. It was Riley's prom and it was going to be a special night for the two of them. This would be the first prom Bella has attended and she couldn't think of anything better than attending her first prom with Riley. She wouldn't have had it any other way.

Bella wanted everything to be perfect. Or, at least, she wanted tonight to come as close to perfection as she could get; starting with the way she looked.

It took her an exorbitant amount of time to find the right prom dress. Bella wasn't as much of a shopper like her friends, Alice and Rosalie, nor did she pay as much attention to fashion, but she knew even she had them beat when she'd went in search of the perfect prom dress. She needed to find the right dress and she knew exactly when she'd found the right dress. Along the way, she must've tried on dozens of dresses and it certainly took her longer than her girlfriends to find just the right one she wanted to wear. There were many dresses that her friends said looked beautiful on her and were also within her budget, but Bella hadn't stop the search until she'd found the one she felt looked better than beautiful on her. She actually aimed for a dress that screamed spectacular and stunning as she wore it and one that would take Riley's breath away.

She had found the dress in a formal wear dress shop in Seattle, after she had begged and begged her father to take her on a shopping excursion there. Bella had practically been in tears after not having found the dress on several shopping trips with her girlfriends around Forks, Port Angeles, and even throughout the Tri-County area. Charlie, as much as he hadn't wanted to take his daughter on a shopping trip to Seattle, just couldn't say no to her, especially since she gave him that specific look, the one he never had been able to resist since she was a little girl. It was a look she gave with her chocolate brown eyes and her lips in a slight pout; a look Bella always saved for when she wanted something badly enough and then Charlie was as good as putty in her hands.

Alice and Rosalie couldn't resist tagging along to this shopping trip to help search for the dress. They'd never turn down a chance to go shopping anyway. So, poor Chief Swan was stuck hours away from Forks with three teenage girls going prom dress shopping, and it was a rather comical situation to watch, but Charlie was happy to have gone through it for Bella. Who was he kidding? He'd do anything for his little girl, even though she wasn't exactly little anymore.

It all became worth the trouble when Bella came out of the dressing room in the vintage, forest green, dress. She was absolutely stunning and elegant. Not only was Bella speechless when she saw herself in the dress, but she knew it was the one when Rosalie, Alice, and her father were speechless as well. She also noticed her police chief father tearing up just a little seeing her in that dress. It also didn't escape her attention that every one of the patrons who were in that store were simply staring at her twirling in the mirror in front of the dressing rooms and that the sales girl who was helping was also ogling her with an open-mouth. She knew then that this dress had to be the dress.

The next flawless thing needed to be Bella's hair and makeup and Esme Cullen, who always looked flawless and beautiful herself, took care of that for Bella. Charlie was grateful for Esme's kind offer to help Bella get ready for prom. Bella easily consented, knowing that Esme would take good care of her and heed her wishes as far as she wanted to look. Bella knew that going to an actual salon doesn't mean the job done would always turn out the best.

Charlie was also glad that he didn't need to shell out any more money for this prom which was already costing him way too much money in his opinion. Who knew that when Bella's boyfriend asked her to prom that he'd have to be spending so much? Riley had it easy having to only pay for the tickets, a rented tux, and dinner.

Charlie was, naturally, out of his realm of experience. What Bella needed was her mother to help take care of Bella during a time like this, but Bella's mother hadn't exactly been available throughout Bella's life ever since she'd chosen to leave them. There was no point in calling Renee just to help him survive Bella's first prom.

Which was why Charlie considered Esme a life saver, having always been there for Bella when he as a father wasn't adequate enough. Bella felt the same way. Esme was definitely like a second mother to Bella and she was happy to be somewhat of that surrogate mother to her. Esme already considered Bella like a daughter, especially with how close she was to her son, Edward. Not having any daughters of her own, and only having the three sons, Esme was in turn grateful to Charlie for allowing her to have certain mother-daughter experiences with Bella, which she'd never have a chance to experience otherwise.

Esme went over to the Swan house earlier to help get Bella prepared and make her look fabulous. Esme had gone all out, aiming to give Bella a complete spa experience, just without the actual spa itself. She had brought over a ton of supplies-cosmetics, body scrub, lotions, and oils amongst other things and some of which were imported from Europe and Bella had never even heard of.

After Bella took her bath and had washed her hair, Esme went to work. There were facials, scrubbing, plucking, and waxing. Bella got a mani-pedi, then her hair and makeup done. Esme even threw in a final relaxation massage. Throughout it all, both Esme and Bella were having loads of fun. Their giggles echoed throughout the modest house.

Charlie wisely stayed out of the way of the women, occupying himself with sports on the television. He was very thankful that there was always some sport on TV.

Bella was already a naturally gorgeous girl, so, in truth, Esme did not have to do much to make her even more beautiful. What she did do was to further highlight Bella's beauty-making her shine and glow. The eye makeup made her deep, brown eyes pop and the lipstick with the lip liner made her lips look luscious and fuller. Esme didn't put too much makeup on Bella, however, not wanting her to look overdone. Esme knew that the tendency, for events like these, was for the girls to cake on the makeup, thinking that was the way to make themselves look appropriate for the event, and she didn't want to make that same mistake. Esme didn't want Riley to not recognize his date; she did want Bella to take his breath away, however.

Esme had pinned part of Bella's hair up in a fancy clip with emeralds and diamonds; it was her little gift to Bella in honor of her first prom. The rest of Bella's hair was left down just the way Bella liked it. Esme only wanted some of the hair away, so it wouldn't cover Bella's beautiful face.

When Esme was all done, Bella could hardly believe her eyes. She looked beautiful and truly felt beautiful. It was all thanks to Esme. Bella profusely thanked her and Esme graciously told her that no thanks was necessary; she was happy to have helped. Esme enjoyed every bit of the bonding she did with Bella during that time. Esme decided to take her leave before she and Bella both ended up crying and ruining both their freshly made up faces.

Esme finished in time to head home and check on her three sons who were also getting ready for prom with their father's help. She didn't need to primp her sons; they looked perfectly handsome having done the work on their own. The most Esme needed to do was straighten out their ties. The Cullen men, including Carlisle, never learned to tie their ties straight, but thankfully Esme had plenty of practice helping them with that.

Before the three Cullen boys left their home in the limo that Carlisle kindly provided for them and their dates, Esme took their picture and reminded them to be gentlemanly to their dates. She also stated that they needed to also look out for their lady friends, like Bella and Angela, and make sure that the girls' dates were being gentlemanly like they were. It wasn't as though Esme didn't trust Riley and Ben to take good care of Bella and Angela, who were like surrogate daughters to her, but she just wanted to make sure that all the boys remembered their gentlemanly ways and treated the girls like princesses. It was important for her to have everyone have a good time and the absolute best experience. After all, prom was a special rite of passage in all teenager's lives. It was meant to be an unforgettable experience.

Although, Esme knew what a prom experience could entail for some of the teenagers, especially with the likes of her sons, she chose to remain blissfully oblivious. Maybe it was more like denial, but Esme thought it better for her sanity that she remain somewhat unaware and just trust that she taught her boys to be proper gentlemen in all aspects of their lives.

Bella finished fiddling with her hair and took one last glance at the mirror. A wide smile erupted on her face. She was satisfied that she finally managed to look her best and as close to perfect as she could get. She had no doubt that she would take Riley's breath away. Now, she just had to wait for Riley to arrive. She couldn't wait to see how good he looked in his suit.

At first, Riley had been reluctant to ask Bella to the prom. It wasn't that he didn't want to go or that he didn't want to ask Bella. Bella was the only girl he'd ever go with in the first place; it's just that he knew these kind of dances weren't necessarily Bella's scene, especially with it being a formal.

These days Bella preferred more low-key nights together and he noticed it since they'd started dating. Bella would only ever go to school dances now, and major school functions for that matter, whenever she'd have to sing.

Going to Riley's prom would be the first time in a long time where she wouldn't actually have to be working by singing and she could just sit back, relax, and truly enjoy herself. Riley didn't know how Bella would feel about that.

Riley believed that Bella preferred being low-key because she'd become quite the star at Forks High since she'd won the Tri-County Sing Off trophy for the school. For that matter, she'd become quite the celebrity in the Tri-County area, and especially around Forks. She'd gathered quite a legion of fans and people all of a sudden always made her the center of attention wherever she was. She'd always start having a group of people around her, wanting a piece of her time, and trying to befriend her. Riley knew that Bella was getting not only weary of the attention, but also irritated at the inconveniences it caused.

Bella didn't want nor need all the extra attention. She had gotten mobbed once and that was enough for her.

Although Riley knew he would do everything in his power to have Bella feel comfortable, safe, and secure at prom, and make sure she has a good time, he also was realistic and expected that Bella being at prom would naturally attract attention. Riley wasn't sure it would be what Bella wanted.

Riley also didn't even know if Bella would available for the prom. Apart from singing at the many school events, Bella also had been kept busy with singing at various other functions around town. She'd gotten so inundated with requests that Mr. Jacob Black and Mrs. Clearwater had to become like her managers and field the calls and arrange her schedule. Bella had become highly in demand. Often times, Riley had to work their dates around Bella's singing gigs and sometimes the only way for him to see her on certain weekend days was to attend the functions with her.

Bella had been worried that she was neglecting her relationship with Riley by agreeing to sing at all these various functions, and while Riley wanted to have his girlfriend all to himself, he knew how much Bella loved performing and sharing her voice with an audience; he couldn't take that joy away from her. So, they compromised. She was only allowed to perform at so many functions and Bella had to designate some time to absolutely devote to Riley. The same went for spending time with her dad and friends as well.

As much as Bella hated to disappoint anyone that requested her to sing at an event where she had to turn down the opportunity, she knew that, first and foremost, she needed to maintain her family and personal life. Of course, it also meant less cash in her pockets whenever she had to turn down a gig, but that was a small price to pay.

In addition, Bella decide that she would just never spend too much time at any one gig. She'd always prefer Riley to take her whenever he could and they'd be there just long enough for her to prepare for a set and finish her performance, then they'd leave right afterward and do things as a couple. It was as good an arrangement as they both could ask for.

Riley only planned on asking Bella to prom as more of a gesture, to let her know that he didn't want to attend prom with anyone else and show her that he'd gladly skip attending his last prom ever of his high school career in favor of doing something else with Bella. Fortunately for Riley, Bella was excited to go with him and she wouldn't have let him missed his last high school prom for the world. Riley's audible sigh of relief after he'd asked Bella and she gladly accepted his invitation could've probably been heard throughout the town.

Another reason Bella was excited to attend prom was because all her friends were attending as well. She'd gotten quite lucky on that regard. Since the prom was jointly held for the Juniors and Seniors of Forks High, Emmett, Rosalie, Ben, and Jasper who were Juniors were automatically attending. Of course, Ben was taking Angela and Jasper was taking Alice. Edward, who continued to be quite popular at school with the girls, and most especially after his breakup with Heidi, not surprisingly, had received many invitations to prom. It didn't matter to the girls that he was technically younger than they were. All the invitations assured that he wasn't going to be the only one to be left out of prom.

In the end, Edward had decided to take one of his former brief girlfriends, Tanya. They had reconnected and the issues Edward seemed to have with her before, he'd seemed to have outgrown; they seemed well on their way to going back to dating. Bella actually didn't mind Tanya; she was one of the girlfriends of Edward's whom Bella liked and got along with, and more important to Bella, Tanya had actually been one of the girls whom Edward had dated that was intelligent and could hold a conversation with the rest of the group. Basically, Tanya fitted in with their little clique, just as Riley did, and that was excellent for the group.

Bella just knew that she, Riley, and her group of friends were going to have one magical evening. It was going to be a great party with all of them together, and every couple had a few special plans on their own to make the night even more special and memorable.

Making the night special and memorable was also the reason why Bella was wearing special intimates underneath her prom dress. She wanted to take Riley's breath away twice that night.

It wouldn't be the first time they'd made love. They'd already passed that milestone a while back. After they'd had their talk about sex, a few months back, they'd continually worked up to the moment when they finally had sex together. The big moment came when Bella gave herself over to Riley as his Valentine's Day present. It may have been a bit cliché', but in the end neither Riley nor Bella cared. It was time and they were both ready. They'd had a very wonderful evening, all the sexual tension that had built up over the last couple of months were finally released. Riley took care of Bella every step of the way, making sure that she was comfortable and enjoying every bit of the moment just as he was. They were safe and responsible, and Bella couldn't have imagined her first time to be more perfect and with a better guy than with Riley. He'd really taken care of her, took his time, and made her feel very loved. Needless to say, that was the best Valentine's Day Riley and Bella had ever had.

However, even though Riley and Bella had started having sex together, what they weren't doing was going at it like rabbits like most other sexually active couples they knew. They'd taken great lengths to ensure that their relationship was just as fulfilling without having sex regularly. Riley hadn't wanted to make the same mistake with Bella as had been made with his ex-girlfriend, Lily. He didn't want his and Bella's relationship to revolve around sex.

There were no rendezvous just to have sex. They didn't forgo dates in favor of just having sex. They'd let their feelings guide them and if the timing and the mood was right, then they'd make love; however, if it didn't happen, then it was no big loss to either of them, nor did it mean that they didn't want nor love one another any longer. They didn't read into it. They were just content to let things happen and unfold naturally. They didn't need sex to validate their love and commitment to one another; it was just an additional way for them to express their love for one another. Sometimes they were insatiable for one another, but other times, they'd had just as much fun with just enjoying one another's company. Bella felt it was very mature of the both of them to handle their sex life as such.

Bella wanted to express her love for Riley that evening. They had already made the plans and Riley rented a hotel room at the Lodge, where the FHS prom was going to be held at. After prom, the two of them plan to just sneak away and spend the rest of the evening together and alone.

Charlie had already agreed to letting Bella enjoy the entirety of the evening and wasn't going to expect her home until morning. It was the one night where she didn't have a curfew to worry about. Bella was eternally grateful to her father.

Of course, he had agreed because he expected Bella and Riley to be attending one or more of the many after-prom parties that kids usually held around town. He knew she'd be surrounded by her group of friends and he genuinely wanted her to enjoy herself and relish her first prom experience. Although, Bella suspected that Charlie knew her and Riley's true plans for the evening, she also knew that he'd rather remain mostly oblivious, as long as they weren't harming themselves. So, what Charlie didn't know wouldn't hurt him and the same went for Riley's parents.

While it wouldn't their first time together, it would be the first time they'd actually be able to wake up to one another in the morning. Bella looked forward to it. She'd always wanted to know what Riley looked like right when he awoke and had not already dressed and primped himself for the day. She imagined that even tousled, he'd still look devastatingly handsome.

She'd also felt that way about Edward, as she'd already seen him many times in the mornings after their sleepovers. Some guys were just blessed with the good looks.

Incidentally, there had been more impromptu sleepovers lately with Edward. Ever since the break up with Heidi, Edward had been having a difficult time of things with everything, not just his personal relationships and he'd just needed his best friend. Bella, naturally, could never turn him away. Edward had gotten very adept at sneaking into Bella's room, even when Charlie was home. Charlie would never know he was even there, nor did anyone else in Edward's family. Edward would come over to Bella's house, sneak up into her room, and then he'd be gone by morning's light, usually the same way he came in, and before anyone even missed him at home or Charlie could suspect he was ever there at his house. It also helped that Charlie pulled a lot of overnight shifts at the station.

Edward and Bella wouldn't really sleep whenever he'd come over for some late night comfort from Bella. They'd spend the time talking, studying together, or doing homework that Edward was behind on. There were times when Bella would fall asleep and Edward would just watch her sleep. It didn't matter to him that she'd fallen asleep; he'd already been helped tremendously just by being able to give her a hug that night.

Edward just needed the face-to-face time with Bella that he often couldn't have anymore, especially since she'd naturally spend most of her time with Riley. There were also the singing gigs that also took up her time. Phone calls, texts, emails, and even IM's just weren't enough for Edward. Seeing her around school was also not enough. Often times, Edward just wanted to steal Bella away, so that they could just sit and talk the way they used to; however, Edward never had the opportunity to. Doing these impromptu sleepovers seemed to be the only way where he could have Bella all to himself. Fortunately for Edward, Bella was always accommodating. She'd never turned him away.

Bella had been respectful enough to inform Riley of Edward's actions. She didn't want to betray Riley's trust by keeping things from him. She knew it would make Riley upset, but she also knew that her boyfriend was compassionate enough to understand. Bella also knew that Riley knows the sleepovers were completely innocent and that he had nothing to worry about as far her feelings went-her heart belonged only to him.

Riley didn't necessarily like what Edward was doing, but he felt he had no choice but to accept it for Bella's benefit. Riley certainly wouldn't risk losing Bella over her friendship with Edward. At least, he was secure enough in his relationship with Bella that he didn't feel threatened at all by her relationship with Edward.

Riley could understand where Edward was coming from. Bella and Edward had always had a special friendship dating all the way back to when they were just little kids. Their closeness was really the stuff that stories were made of. They were used to readily having one another to turn to in friendship without any other persons or complications getting in their way. Of course, things were different now that they were both growing older. Riley could understand that it was difficult for either of them to just let that kind of friendship and history go, and that Edward was just doing what he felt he needed to in order to maintain his own personal relationship with Bella. Bella probably knew Edward better than anyone and vice-versa, and so there were times where Riley just needed to step aside and let Bella be a friend to her best friend, Edward.

Edward was in a much better state these days, especially with having reconnected with Tanya, so the sleepovers had lessened considerably. Bella was glad because she was able to get much more sleep without Edward's nighttime visits.

Riley and Bella weren't the only couple in their circle of friends who had big plans for the evening. In fact, all the couples did. However, not all of the big plans revolved around renting a hotel room and spending the night together. Edward certainly had that plan for he and Tanya, but with no hotel room involved. He'd planned for their first time together to be at his parent's hardly used fishing cabin by the lake. He, along with Bella and Alice's help, had actually worked for a week to get the cabin ready just in time for prom night. Admittedly, it felt a little strange for Bella to be helping Edward in trying to seduce his date for prom; however, she put all her feelings aside because she was if nothing a great friend to Edward.

Jasper and Alice's big plans entailed them hitting every after-prom party as possible. They wanted to party the night away. Besides, they had to be the ones to make appearances for their little group, since how it stood, everyone else weren't planning on attending these after-prom parties. Rosalie and Emmett wanted to party the night away with each other, but rather than going about renting a hotel room for the evening, they had their own secret plans and it entailed a second limo just for the two of them. Ben and Angela chose not to relay what they were going to be doing after prom to the rest of the group, choosing to keep the information all to themselves.

The one thing the whole group agreed to was to cover each other's backs. They were going to be there for one another, so as not to have any one of them be in trouble. They all had their stories straight beforehand, just in case any parents became a little too curious about the events surrounding prom night.

Riley came to pick up Bella right on time and Bella had been ready and waiting. However, she didn't want Riley to think she was too eager, so she made him sit and wait a little while before she made her grand entrance down the stairway.

Riley had sat there making polite conversation with Bella's father. He hoped that it wasn't written all over his face that he was going to get lucky with Bella that evening. It would've been highly embarrassing for him if Charlie could read him at that moment. Charlie didn't show any signs of knowing any more of their plans for the night than going to prom, having dinner, dancing, and then possibly hitting a few after-prom parties. Riley added that the whole group planned on having breakfast together in the morning at the local diner before everyone went home to sleep the rest of the next day away. Charlie was fine with that idea and relayed to Riley that he had his own plans for the evening.

Riley had to smile knowing that the single father probably had his own date for the night. As Charlie had asked him, he'd wait to relay the news to Bella till a little later in the night.

When Bella finally appeared, she had garnered the exact reaction she wanted from Riley. He was simply speechless. He couldn't believe that Bella had gotten impossibly more beautiful and he felt very lucky and proud to be her escort for the night.

Riley and Bella made their way to prom and met up with the rest of their group. Emmett and Rosalie had made sure to reserve a big table just for their group; however, no one stayed at the table for very long. Dinner was actually the only time they were all able to sit down together and converse fully, but even then each couple seemed to be more engrossed in one another than with the rest of the group, especially Edward and Tanya and Bella and Riley. The conversations were rather awkward and disjointed. It wasn't any matter, however, since everyone seemed to be having a great time at prom.

They all went around the ballroom and mingled with the rest of the prom attendees and their other friends. All the couples danced liked they'd never danced before and once in awhile, they were all able to track each other down and chat with one another. Tanya and Riley lent out their dates and allowed Edward and Bella to dance with one another for a couple of songs. Apart from that, Bella wasn't out of Riley's sights the whole night and he could hardly keep his hands off of her. He'd become increasingly amorous as the night wore on.

Bella was even coaxed to sing a song to close out prom. It was a good thing that Bella had many songs in her repertoire and could sing on the fly like that.

All in all, the group all had a fun, truly magical evening. Prom had been everything they had expected and more. All the credit had to be given to FHS prom committee for having thrown a wonderful party.

However, the night wasn't over yet. The group then disbanded and went about their own plans for the rest of the night.

Bella and Riley retreated to their hotel room. Edward and Tanya dropped Jasper and Alice off at the first after-prom party and then the limo driver took them to the deserted Cullen fishing cabin. Jasper and Alice were going to be on their own in traveling from one party to the next, but they were a resourceful couple and would make it work. Emmett and Rosalie had their own limo waiting outside the Lodge for them once prom was over and they took off to unknown destinations. Ben and Angela had disappeared together even before prom ended.

Riley and Bella didn't make love right away after they entered their hotel room. They relaxed and came down from the high of prom, they talked about the night, and even watched a movie. It was by the second movie that Riley couldn't wait any longer and things between he and Bella heated fairly quickly. They started kissing, which led to them making out, and then one thing led to another. Soon, Bella's dress was off and for the second time that evening, Riley was again rendered speechless. He was absolutely stunned by Bella's beauty. He considered himself very lucky to have a girl such as Bella be his.

They'd made love, and again, as with all the times previously, Riley took great care with Bella. The night couldn't have been more special and as close to perfect as Bella could've ever hoped.

Before the night was true, she and Riley had made love a few more times. It was the first time that Riley had a chance to round the bases with his girlfriend more than once, and he was in heaven. It was a good thing that he'd been prepared like a good boy scout and brought extra protection.

They'd fallen asleep cuddled up, entangled in each other's arms, and with huge smiles on their faces. They had both never been more in love than that night.

Riley felt especially clingy that evening because he knew that his moments with Bella like that was going to be few and far between soon. Graduation was only less than a month away, coming much faster than either he and Bella liked. Separation was going to be inevitable.

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**END A/N: **I hope the chapter was okay. I initially wanted to go into all the details of their prom night and even produce a lemon between Riley and Bella, but in the end, it just all didn't feel right. This felt like a good enough descriptive chapter to follow up the dialogue heavy chapter before.

Anyways, teaser for Chapter 11:

_Forks High was buzzing busily with preparations for graduation. Everywhere Bella looked around the school, she was reminded of the inevitable coming of the day. It didn't put her in the best of moods. She didn't want nor need anymore obvious signs that Riley was going to be graduating and moving on from their school. She didn't need to be further reminded that her beloved boyfriend was going to be leaving her._

Last 3 things:

-Erm, I lied when I said that there would only be 2 more chapters before we get to the point in my story where the Seduction Through Song O/S comes into play. It'll be more like 4 after this one-sorry, I miscalculated. Also, I have this thing with numbers and call it a numbers OCD or whatever, but I can't help but kind of play into it and so, I had specifically aligned the chapters to be matched with specific numbers. So, by my calculations (and understand that I am admittedly bad in math), the STS chapter should be Chapter 15.

-I have a backlog of reviews to answer, but as promised I will get to them and reply to your reviews. I always feel its better late than never.

-Please, if you can, consider donating to the Fandom4Colorado charity. You will receive another wonderful fic compilation for which I am a part of. Find all the info at fandomcause . info-you know what to do w/ the linkage. Also, you can find the information on my profile, as well as the information for all the other fandom charities I've gotten involved with.

See you readers next chapter. I just have to find the time to type up Chapter 11 then I'll get it right to you & Chapter 12 is about 90% done. So sooner updates, I hope. That is if RL doesn't get in the way & unfortunately, RL hasn't been kind to me as of late.


	15. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Whoa! Had received a couple of strong, dislike of the Riley and Bella coupling in reviews after the last chapter. So, sorry it made some of you readers out there uncomfortable. However, such is the way of life-sometimes, E/B have to be with other people first before they find their way to one another.

I assure everyone, though, that it's just a little more "pain" to endure and then we'll be getting to the heart of Edward and Bella's love story and the real reason why this is slated as an Edward and Bella story. We're on the tail end of the first half of their story, where they are still best friends, and we'll be proceeding to the second half shortly, when they become more than friends.

Fair warning: More Riley/Bella couple times in this chapter. Nothing too cringe-worthy IMO, though. But that's just my opinion.

Waving hello to all the new followers of the story! Welcome to the journey! I realized that I'd never said thanks to all you new followers or those readers who have marked my story as a Favorite-much appreciated and I'm humbled by your confidence in my story. Thank you so much to everyone for reading! Truly, you readers are what keeps me motivated to keep on going and writing this. I appreciate every one of you readers, honestly! As you know, I don't get paid for writing this (and my other stories)-my reward is the joy I get in knowing that there are people out there reading my efforts and going on my characters' journeys with me and hopefully liking it.

**LET'S KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING IN!**

**THIS STORY NEEDS TO CATCH UP WITH MY OTHER WIP'S.**

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**Chapter 11: Gold Forever**

Bella stared at the date on her calendar on her bedroom wall marked with a big red circle and a cute, little graduation cap sticker. She also stared at the same date on the calendar on her phone marked with bold black letters, as well as the same date on the calendar on her computer. It was all still the same, and as much as she didn't want time to keep moving and the date approaching closer, she knew that there was realistically nothing she could do. The day was going to happen. That was for certain.

Well, unless she was able to develop the ability to stop time between now and the fast approaching date. Of course, that was out of the question. She hadn't even had a Physics class yet and so she had no idea how to even begin to solve some space, time continuum mumbo-jumbo problem. Furthermore, the last time she checked, she wasn't a mutant, X-Men like teen with the superpower to stop time. That would've been cool and so helpful in her time of need now.

Bella was frustrated for sure. The day was coming and she was helpless to do anything about it.

The marked date, which Bella had been religiously staring at for days now, was for Riley's graduation and it was approaching faster than Bella would've liked. Bella knew it was ridiculous to think that somehow the days were suddenly accelerated, hurling her towards graduation day, but that was how she felt.

She had actually expressed her feelings about time moving way too fast to Edward, and in return, her best friend gave her a spiel about how time was technically moving slower due to Earth's rotation having slowed down over time. He spouted about how during the age of the dinosaurs, there were only 23 hours in a day instead of the standard 24 hours we knew of, and in the future, it was conceivable that there would be 25 hours in a day if the rate of Earth's rotation continued to slow as it did. It was some scientific mumbo-jumbo that Edward had learned in one of his science classes. In other words, technically time wasn't moving any faster than Bella had thought.

All that scientific crap wasn't quite what Bella wanted to hear and Edward knew so. He was just messing with her. Naturally, he needed to tease her a little about her anxiety over Riley's impending graduation. Bella had to have known that the day was coming. It was her choice to date an upper class men.

FHS Graduation was only a week out now and it was inevitable that sooner or later, Bella was going to have to accept that Riley was part of the graduating class. There would be no escaping that fact for Bella.

Never had Bella wanted to just crawl into a bunker and hide away until the dreaded day was over. She'd rather deal with the aftermath. Of course, that would mean, though, that she wasn't going to be a supportive girlfriend.

Edward did his best to comfort Bella. However, he knew that she didn't want his advice on the matter. For the most part, he just lent her his ear and let her air out all her anxiety about Riley graduating. It was all the thoughts that she'd felt afraid to talk to Riley about. Talking to Edward didn't really accomplish much, since Bella should really have been talking all this over with Riley; however, just being able to express all her thoughts and feelings to someone instead of having to hold it in, did always make Bella feel better.

This was the kind of relationship and great friendship that Bella and Edward had. They were able to turn to one another, open up comfortably, and discuss things that they wouldn't or didn't feel comfortable enough to discuss with anyone else, not even their parents or significant others.

Bella had her girlfriends, Alice, Rosalie, and Angela, but they still couldn't offer her the kind of comfort and support Bella sought and had learn to rely upon that Edward gave. She couldn't exactly describe why it was that way. Edward was the same. He had his brothers and his male friends, but he always felt better talking to Bella. Neither she nor Edward could explain why they felt more at ease with one another over anyone else-it was just the way it always had been and probably the way it always will be. Bella and Edward learned not to question it anymore a long time ago.

Bella hadn't really thought about Riley's impending graduation all that much since they had started dating. It had just always been something that was in the back of her mind. She knew that Riley was three years older and a senior class men, but she had never felt any sort of difference between the two of them and so his graduation day was a day that seemed far off in the distance.

However, the time had finally came where Riley's graduation wasn't something that was far off in the distance. Maybe she had just been in denial before. Now that the day was about to arrive, it was definitely front and center in Bella's mind. Although, ever since prom, she'd been trying to avoid thinking about Riley's graduation. Of course, much to her chagrin, Bella couldn't escape the subject if she tried.

Forks High was buzzing busily with preparations for graduation. Everywhere Bella looked around the school, she was reminded of the inevitable coming of the day. It didn't put her in the best of moods. She didn't want nor need anymore obvious signs that Riley was going to be graduating and moving on from their school. She didn't need to be further reminded that her beloved boyfriend was going to be leaving her.

Already, the senior class was finishing up their finals and would be completely done with high school in a day. Tomorrow would be Riley's official last day at school. Bella was completely distraught. Even Edward couldn't do much to console Bella, as much as he kept trying. Riley was definitely no help in the matter either, although he was trying to make the transition for Bella as easy as possible.

Bella just couldn't imagine finishing school without Riley. That was what upset her the most.

Bella still had a whole three weeks before it would be summer vacation for her. With Riley leaving school much earlier than Bella, things were definitely going to change. He'd no longer be around in school with her. Until now, Bella never realized how much of a big fucking deal that would be to her. It wasn't that he wouldn't be around for her final weeks of her sophomore year in school; it was that he wasn't ever going to be around in school with her again after tomorrow.

She'd no longer see him in between their class periods and be able to walk hand-in-hand with him down the school halls. She wouldn't be able to steal a quick kiss from him against their lockers or expect to see him during the lunch hour. Riley wouldn't be the one anxiously waiting to meet her after their last classes, so that they could head home together. She would never during an assembly be able to look at the back of the gym and see Riley's smiling face taking care of all the AV business.

More than that, in a couple of short months, Riley was going off to school. That meant that he wouldn't even be around Forks anymore.

At least, until he left for school, Bella knew she'd still see him every day, but she knew that it just wasn't going to be the same as having him in school with her. After school was done, she'd have to inevitably deal with him leaving for college. She knew that her time with Riley after he graduated would be plagued by her being preoccupied that he was going to leave soon. Bella didn't know how she would cope. It seemed too much for her heart to take.

No matter how much she tried to prepare herself for the day of Riley's graduation, as well as him leaving for college, Bella still didn't think any amount of preparation would make her ready. With graduation day coming way too fast and Riley leaving Forks on the horizon, it only served to remind Bella that her time of having Riley always with her was limited. She didn't know how she was going to manage the separation. If Bella was being truly honest, she didn't want to manage without him; she wished he didn't have to graduate yet nor leave town.

After all, she had just found her love. It seemed unfair that they'd have to be apart so soon.

Of course, it was only wishful thinking on Bella's part that Riley didn't have to leave. She would never willfully stand in the way of Riley's hopes and dreams. He had mapped out a future of himself long before she had come along. She wasn't about to put a damper in his plans.

Bella felt bad enough that Riley had already altered his college plans in consideration of her being left behind in Forks. He had his pick of schools literally and Bella knew that if they hadn't become involved, Riley may very well have been going to school across the country, on the East coast, where his original first choices for schools were. Riley quickly ruled out the idea of attending any schools on the East coast once he had fallen in love with Bella.

As it turned out, he was going to school in Northern California. Attending Stanford was considered a compromise.

Initially, Riley had been thinking of postponing school for about a year... or two. He had gotten the wild and crazy idea from one of the other Seniors, who was doing just that. Before then, he had never even considered not going to college right after high school graduation. It was, after all, widely considered the natural course of things.

Even though Riley had received an acceptance letter from practically every school he had applied to, he was seriously considering putting off his admissions to every single one of them. In his mind, that plan had made sense. Making that decision would have alleviated several problems in Riley's mind. He wouldn't have had to decide which school to attend right away; he'd be able to take his time to make the decision. By staying in Forks, he'd be able to work and earn more money for school, so it would be financially sound. More importantly, he wouldn't have had to be apart from Bella.

If he was able to postpone school for the two years until Bella graduated, then it would've been easier for Riley to decide which school he'd attend because he'd go wherever Bella was going to be at. They wouldn't necessarily have to be at the same exact school, but they could be in the same city at least.

As much as Bella would've liked the idea of keeping Riley with her in Forks, at least for another year or until she graduated, she couldn't in good conscience literally allow for Riley to put his life on hold like that. She didn't ever want to put herself in a position where Riley might end up resenting her. Riley may have thought the idea was great now, but who knows if he'd change his mind down the line.

Also, a lot could happen in the year or two that he decided to postpone continuing school. She and Riley may not even be together anymore. While they both knew they loved one another, they still could never predict what the future held.

Take for example, Bella's parents. They were high school sweethearts and loved one another immensely. To this day, Bella still believes that her parents still holds strong feelings for each other. However, despite the love they had, they still weren't able to stay married. The stress on their relationship during the time of Bella's accident and hospitalization when she was just five was just too much for them to bear and their whole marriage fell apart. To this day, Bella's mother hasn't been able to be around her father and Forks, for that matter, because of what happened all those years ago. Bella knew that her parents could've never predicted that their family would end up this way.

Riley couldn't base his decision about school based on his feelings for Bella. It clouded his judgment and they really didn't know what would be happening in the future.

Fortunately, Riley's parents would not accept that plan for Riley and insisted that he did continue his schooling just like he'd wanted before he had made Bella his girlfriend. They knew that Bella didn't want Riley to put his life on hold for her either and so they had leverage as far as convincing him that where he belonged was in school. Mr. and Mrs. Biers went as far as threatening him that if he didn't continue his education then he'd be completely cut off financially and he'd have to find somewhere else to live unless he found a way to pay rent at their house. They basically made staying in Forks and not going on to school as initially planned quite unattractive for Riley.

However, Riley was eighteen and free to make his own decisions. Rightfully, he ultimately had to decide what was going to best for him.

It was actually a talk with Edward that finally convinced Riley that he should go on to college. Edward expressed to him what Bella couldn't express initially and that turned the tides in Riley's mind. However, Riley then decided that he would just attend UDUB, and that way he'd still fulfill his original plans of attending college while still being able to stay close to Bella.

Riley thought that was a good compromise. Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly the right decision in his parents eyes, either. The same went for Bella.

The Biers and Bella had nothing personal against the University of Washington in Seattle, but they just knew that the school wasn't going to be meeting Riley's educational needs. It was their point of view that he'd be wasting his time attending school there, just the same as if he had decided to postpone college for a year or more. It was his decision to make, however.

Again, Bella felt that Riley was making a bad decision and basing his plans entirely on what he felt in his heart and wasn't exactly using his head. She finally broke down and confessed to Riley that centering his college plans on the basis of their relationship made her feel overwhelmed and unbelievably pressured. She relayed to him all her fears about being resented somewhere down the line because of his decisions about college. She'd also asked him to be practical about his decision, since neither of them knew what the future had in store for them. Bella felt that he should just go ahead with his college plans as intended, then in two years when she graduated and would decide what her own path will be, Riley could reassess his situation at that time.

Of course, Bella was going to be supportive as to any decision Riley made. If she was to be completely honest, a selfish part of her wouldn't have minded that he attend UDUB. He would be close by and they'd be able to see one another more often than if he were in school out-of-state. Certainly, the tuition would be cheaper. The computer and IT classes at the university weren't amongst the top of the field, but they weren't exactly bottom of the barrel either. The classes would be adequate and Riley would be able to transfer many, if not all, of the other core classes he'd also have to take to any other school if that was what he chose for himself in the future. So, if he ended up in Seattle, it wasn't going to be too bad for anyone.

In the end, however, after several heart-to-hearts with his parents and Bella, Riley ended up deciding on going to Stanford. It was a decision Riley felt made everyone happy at the end of the day.

Stanford was an out-of-state school, but Riley was awarded a full scholarship to the school, which covered the tuition costs. More importantly, it wasn't clear across the country. California was still close enough to where Riley could make it back home to Forks easily whenever he needed or wanted to come back-it would be just a couple of hours plane ride, a day's ride by bus, and only about a 13-14 hour drive by car. That satisfied Riley's need to be somewhat close enough to Bella without having to sacrifice his quality of education, which was a huge concern of his parents.

Stanford is one of the top schools for computer aided graphic design and IT on the West coast; therefore, Riley would certainly be getting more of a quality education in his chosen field of study. Under Stanford's program, Riley shouldn't have any problems finding work after college graduation. Another reason why Stanford was a positive choice for Riley's parents, he had relatives that didn't live too far away and so these relatives would be able to check up on him every now and then. Riley had family to turn to whenever he needed.

As much as both Bella and Riley was going to hate the separation, their parents convinced them that some distance between the two of them would be good for their relationship. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, the parents spouted to Bella and Riley. Their parents weren't fools and knew how serious Riley and Bella were getting. After all, Riley was willing to put his future on hold for Bella. Naturally, both Charlie and Riley's parents were a bit concerned over their obvious devotion and commitment, since the two were still quite young in their eyes.

Even though Charlie loved Riley like he was his own son and thought he made for an excellent beau for Bella, he was still wary for his daughter, as any good father would be. He personally knew the pitfalls of falling in love hard and fast and being so young. He didn't want his daughter and Riley making the same mistakes that he and Bella's mother, Renee, did when they were about the same ages. It hadn't ended well for him and Renee and Charlie didn't want the same kind of fate for Bella.

Charlie also didn't want Bella ending up as a teen pregnancy statistic, which could greatly affect both hers and Riley's futures. He'd already had the talk with Bella and knew that Riley was experienced. He counted on Riley to take care of his daughter and trusted them to safeguard themselves, but accidents were known to happen. It was better that they spent time apart to ensure that their chances of having an accident happen was lessened. Although, if Charlie was being completely honest, he still clung to the hope that his daughter was still a virgin. Bella never did confirm or deny either way. Charlie knew better than to pry and actually was grateful to remain somewhat oblivious.

So, Riley was Stanford-bound. It had all been settled.

Riley's tuition for the Fall semester was taken care of. He received his dormitory residence assignment and would be meeting his new room mate in August when incoming Freshmen orientation began. He even already had a preliminary schedule of classes.

Bella knew that attending Stanford was what's going to be best for her boyfriend. As much as she knew it was going to be difficult on the both of them at first with the separation and would require adjustment, she knew that eventually things were bound to become easier. Two years time of separation wasn't going to be very long at all. Besides, Riley would come home to Forks every now and then and Charlie would probably allow her to make a visit or two to his college campus as well.

Both Riley and Bella had come to terms with him leaving for college. What Bella still had to come to terms with was the day of graduation and how it signaled the end of Riley's old life in Forks and the start of his new one as a college freshman.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella was out of time and Riley's graduation day had came. Surprisingly, on the day of graduation, she was fairly calm. There were a little bit of butterflies in her stomach, but she knew it was just due to the anticipation she had of seeing Riley up on stage receiving his diploma.

Truth be known, she was proud of Riley graduating despite her lack of enthusiasm for the event itself. He was even graduating with honors and was even going to be receiving one of the special awards that the school gave out to the students who have contributed much to the school over the four years they attended school at FHS. How could she not be proud of him?

Bella was probably calm because she had already had her freak outs in the days leading up to the big day. Admittedly, she had been abhorrent to be around. She hadn't been in the best of moods and had been prone to lose her temper easily and without much provocation. Her friends had wisely picked up on her sour disposition and chose to give her a wide berth. It was exactly what Bella had expected since she had pretty much snapped at everyone at some point and for no basic reasons at all.

Except for Edward, who'd always been tried and true to Bella; he could never back away from Bella even if he tried. He withstood every bit of her ire and still came out quite unscathed. Needless to say, Bella needed her best friend as she went through this tough period. He was her rock and even though she wrongfully directed wrath at him, she was very grateful for his presence and calming influence. Bella shouldn't have been the least bit surprised because she and Edward has always weathered storms together.

Bella was very apologetic for her out-of-character and out-of-control behavior; however, she couldn't exactly help herself. Riley graduating meant such a huge change for Bella and no one could really blame her for being upset.

Edward was the one that reminded Bella that even though Riley was going to be gone from FHS, she still had him around. Somehow, that made things better. All was not loss. Bella may no longer have her boyfriend with her at school, but she'll always have her best friend, Edward, right by her side, not to mention her other friends..

On Riley's last day ever at Forks High, Bella had picked a fight with Riley. She felt that now that all his plans for college was set, he was handling the upcoming transition too casually. She felt that her feelings and concerns for when he left for school were being discounted. Riley, on the other hand, didn't feel he was doing anything of the sort.

It was Edward who stepped in and was able to patch things up quickly between the two of them. He'd had enough of seeing Riley and Bella in constant conflict over the whole matter of his graduation ever since the time approached.

It was Edward who had put things in perspective for Bella. Although everyone else probably told her the same things, it was only Edward whom she actually heard. His words hadn't gone in one ear and out the other like with all the rest.

"Bella, you can't blame the guy for having to graduate and then go off to school. It's the natural course of life, after all," Edward had said. "If it was going to bother you so much, then you shouldn't have started dating him. You knew he was older. There were certainly lots of other guys our own age who would've been eager to go out with you."

"I'm not blaming him for any of that," Bella defended herself. "It was inevitable, after all. And you shut up about our age difference and those other guys."

"Sure, you're not," Edward replied in a mocking tone. "I only brought up your age difference with Riley because you seem to be making a big deal out of it now. Do you even realize how out-of-control you are?"

"Oh, so I'm out-of-control because I'm hurt that he so casually keeps tossing aside my feelings about his going off to school?"

"That wasn't what he was doing and you know it. He was telling you and has been telling you that you have nothing to worry about. I don't think that's called tossing aside your feelings, Bella. I think that he's just been trying to placate you. You know, he's at a loss. I kind of feel sorry for him. You're certainly not making his leaving any easier on the guy. Riley doesn't know what to do. He knows that you've been upset, but he doesn't have any ideas on how to make things better. Frankly, nobody does. I mean, you say you don't want to hold him back, that he should rightfully go off to school. You scoffed at the idea of him staying around here, like he originally wanted because you feared that he'd end up resenting you, even though he'd already told you that would never happen. You pushed him to make a choice which didn't leave you feeling like you were holding him back and in the end I think he made a darn good one. He picked a school that made him, his parents, and you happy. In the long-term, it was the best decision. Even I have to admire the guy for having chosen so well. You said everything was alright with you. You liked the compromise he made. However, do you realize that you've been acting like you don't want him to ever leave at all? The poor guy is so conflicted. What do you want from him, Bella? You don't think it's just as hard on him, knowing he has to leave you? What do you propose he do? It seems to me that the guy is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't with you."

Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward. He was right and she knew it, but damned if she wanted to admit it.

While Bella continued to stay silent, but still sulked and pouted, Edward continued, "Listen, ask yourself this. Do you really want to taint Riley's graduation with your poor attitude? It's supposed to be one of the happiest moments in our lives. It's a big milestone, Bella. You know that Riley won't be happy and enjoying it knowing that you're so upset about it."

Bella gruffly mumbled, "You have a point there."

"Another thing to ask yourself. Do you really want to spend his last few weeks here in Forks with you mired by arguments and hurt feelings because you've decided to go all emo on him? How about you both save yourselves the trouble now and just break up?"

Bella gasped and was rightfully shocked by Edward's blunt words. "What? That's not what I want," she retorted back.

"Well, it's what you're going to get if you don't get yourself together," Edward spouted back, brutally, but he was being completely honest. He knew that Bella wouldn't have any less from him.

He noticed the tears start forming once again in Bella's eyes and he immediately grabbed her and held her close. She welcomed his embrace despite his earlier harsh words. She sobbed into his shoulder while Edward rubbed her back to soothe her, the way he always did whenever Bella was upset. It was an action quite familiar to the two of them.

Softly, Edward whispered to her, "Forgive me for saying so, but you've really been a bitch as of late. I know that's not you, really. You're just letting your fear of the unknown and emotions get the best of you. C'mon, I know that's not how you want to send Riley off to college. You'll only succeed in making the two of you miserable. Make the most of your time together while he's here and remember that it's not like he's going away forever."

Bella nodded and her sobs abated. Then that was that. Bella had gathered herself and emerged from that talk with an entirely new attitude about Riley's graduation and him leaving for Stanford.

From then on, she vowed to make memories with Riley for him to take with him to school. Then she'd be eagerly anticipating the visits which will bring them together again.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

Bella put on her one of her best dresses and she and Charlie joined what seemed like the entire town of Forks inside the FHS gym for graduation. She had made amends with Riley and showed just how much of a supportive girlfriend she could be. When Riley's name was called, she applauded and cheered the loudest amongst all of his well-wishers, almost to the point where her hands hurt and her voice was hoarse. Riley walked off the stage that afternoon with the biggest smile on his face knowing that everything was right again in his universe.

Admittedly, he was getting a bit worried about the way Bella was acting. He could've chalked it up to emotional, teen, female hormones gone a muck, but he felt he knew Bella to be better than that and more mature. He didn't think that his graduating would've caused so much tension with his girl, to the point that he was worried that it could've been just the thing that broke them up.

As much as he hated to admit it, it was only due to Edward that things considerably calmed down with Bella. If it hadn't been for her best friend, his graduation wouldn't have been such a happy occasion and his last few weeks left in Forks before he went off to school would've probably been miserable. He owed Edward a lot.

After the ceremony and more pictures than Riley or Bella care to have taken, there was a small celebration dinner at The Lodge. Riley and his family had invited Bella and her dad, Edward and his family, as well as Riley's two closest friends and their parents. As much as dinner was great and the food delicious, the teens were more interested in making their way to the plethora of graduation parties that were happening all around town that night and for the next week. They planned to make the rounds.

Make the rounds they did. Riley and Bella, along with their friends, went to party after party, never staying really long at any one when there were multiple ones on a single day. It seemed every senior in the graduating class was hosting one.

But, wasn't it any wonder. Forks was a small, sleepy town and parties were usually a highlight, especially for the teens. Each party becoming more and more spectacular, each of the seniors trying to outdo the other party-wise. It was the most excitement the town usually received in a given period.

Although, party-hopping wasn't really Bella's thing, she endured it for the sake of Riley. At least, she was spending so-called quality time with him. Any time spent with him was precious since his days with her were numbered.

Between finishing off her sophomore year, the grad parties, hanging with Edward and her friends, and spending as much time with Riley as she can, Bella was naturally exhausted most days. It took a lot of energy to be able to keep up with her usually full schedule. There was always something to do and somewhere to be.

Fortunately, for Bella, Charlie was a generous and accommodating father and allowed her the freedom to go out with Riley and have fun with her friends. Much of that probably had to do with the fact that Charlie had to work a lot. The start of summer was also the start of the police station's busiest period. No one really knew why, just that whenever Charlie was busiest at work, it always coincided with the summer months. He'd had to spend an inglorious amount of time at the station, being that he was the Chief of Police, and this start of summer was particularly busy since Charlie had been short-handed of deputies and he now had a few, new rookies on the force that needed lots of training and supervision. He'd been having to stay over at the station more often than not.

Needless to say, Bella was having quite a few sleepovers of her own over at Edward's house. Charlie hadn't wanted Bella to be staying alone in the house too often. Surprisingly, Charlie felt more comfortable sending her to stay with the Cullens than with any other of her girlfriends. The Cullens didn't mind at all and in fact, Edward welcomed the extra time he got to spend with his best friend. Esme had pretty much turned one of the guest bedrooms in the basement into Bella's own space.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen didn't always need to know that Bella wasn't always staying there. Many times she'd found her way up to Edward's room and stayed on his comfy couch to sleep, sneaking back down into her own guest room before anyone else knew and she and Edward got in trouble. There were also the times Edward helped her to sneak out and be able to spend time with Riley.

As much as Riley hated sneaking around with Bella the way he was doing, he wouldn't have traded the alone time they got to have for anything in the world. Sometimes, it was just too much for the both of them to have to share one another with their friends. Although, they both loved their friends tremendously, sometimes they just needed time alone as a couple with no one else and nothing else in the way. They cherished this time together, especially since they knew that once he'd left for school, their times together like it was going to be few and far between.

They're favorite thing to do was to pitch a tent atop their favorite isolated cliff side and do whatever they felt like doing whether it was to spend a night reading, listening to music, playing games, just snuggling and cuddling up to one another and sleeping, or even the occasional sex romp. It didn't really matter what they did, just that they were together.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

The early days of summer passed quickly and in a flurry of various activities. Before Bella and Riley knew it, August came and it was time for him to head off to school. Riley was going to leave for Stanford the next day. A whole caravan of people were going to travel to Seattle to see Riley off.

For all of Charlie's generosity and accommodation during the earlier part of summer as far as giving Bella the freedom to enjoy time with Riley and her friends, he wouldn't allow Bella to accompany Riley all the way to California and see him off to college that way. Even though, Riley's parents had said it would be all right with them and they would've taken care of her while on the trip, Charlie wasn't budging on his decision. He had said that there would be other opportunities for her to make a campus visit, but taking Riley all the way to California for the start of his college schooling wasn't going to be one. Bella was understandably disappointed; however, she had no choice but to respect her father's decision. She would have to say goodbye to Riley at SeaTac and wait until he was able to come back home to Forks.

Naturally, the day before he had to leave, Bella and Riley made it a point to spend some time together alone, just the two of them. Riley had already spent his time with his other friends and said his farewells in the days before, just so that Bella had him all to herself on his last day in town.

They had planned their whole day doing things that they loved to do together and spent some time that night in their tent on their special cliff side. Bella wasn't going to be able to wake up to Riley in the morning, unlike some past nights during earlier in the summer, due to the curfew she had to keep in order to see Riley off at the airport the next day, but that didn't matter. They made the most of the short time they had left.

They wasted no time and got intimate, then made love. Neither one of them would've ever dreamed to deny themselves this one final time of intimacy, as it was meant to last them until Riley was able to come back for a visit.

After they had their mutual release, they settled down together in the sleeping with Riley cuddling Bella close. In turn, she snuggled as closely to Riley's body as she could without all out crawling on top of him. They laid there in companionable silence for a time, basking in their post-coital glow, as entangled as they could be.

Then without any warning at all, tears started to fall from Bella's eyes and she was helpless to stop them. She hadn't planned on crying, and she didn't think she'd actually start to cry, not yet at least, but out-of-the-blue while snuggling with Riley, the realization hit her that this would be the last time in a long time she'd be able to be with Riley just like this and then it was as if the floodgates were opened.

They both sat up and Bella crawled onto Riley's lap. They held onto one another tightly, as if their lives depended on it.

"Noo...noo...baby, don't cry," Riley pleaded.

"I...I...can't help...help it," Bella answered in a shaky voice, in between sobs.

Riley stroked Bella's hair in an effort to calm her. "It's not like I'm going to be gone forever. I'll be back as often as I can and you will come to visit me. I'll beg your dad if I have to."

Her voice still shaky, Bella responded, "But...but...you won't...you won't...be back for...for awhile."

"True. But, it's not too long. It's just a few weeks if you think about it. It'll fly by fast, just like the summer did. Please, baby, stop crying. You know how it hurts me when you cry."

Bella buried her head onto Riley's shoulder and muttered against him, barely understandable, "But...xcjfgtyuiaqwaiuxvlfff."

"What?" Riley didn't understand a word except for "but". The rest sounded like gibberish.

"I said we hadn't ever been apart but for more than a few days," she mumbled, clearer this time.

"I know...but, I promise we'll talk every day. There's texts and emails and skyping at night. It'll be as if I've never left."

"It won't be the same," Bella whined. "I'll know that you're not actually around. It's not like I will all of a sudden see you just around the corner or even the next day. It wouldn't be like you would be coming to my house and I could see you. It'll be long periods of separation. Plus, you might not be able to keep your promise. You will be busy doing college type things, after all." Bella's tears had ebbed, giving way to a bit of anger.

"Hey, I'll never be too busy for my girl," Riley said as honestly and sincerely as he could, wanting Bella to believe it wholly.

Tears prickled again at the corners of Bella's eyes as she uttered, "There'll be lots of girls on campus. College girls. More mature, maybe more experienced, prettier than me and with nicer, bigger tits."

Riley couldn't help but chuckle a little. Bella's insecurity was kind of adorable to him.

"I happen to like your tits just fine. In fact, dare I say I find them quite spectacular actually." To further prove his point, he gave Bella's breasts a squeeze and little pecks at the tops of their mounds. He then continued, "Those other girls won't matter. My heart belongs to you."

"For now, maybe," Bella retorted.

"For always," Riley countered.

"What if one of those trampy co-eds throws themselves at you?"

"I'm a nerd, Bella. I don't think that'll happen," Riley dismissed. He thought the idea was preposterous.

"You may be a nerd, but you're a hot nerd. Girls go for hot nerds, especially college girls."

Riley had to chuckle again. "You don't know that. But fine. If that ever happens, then I'll politely decline their advances because I have a girlfriend that I'm very happy with. Simple."

"You can't guarantee...," Bella started to say.

However, Riley interjected, "Baby, have faith in me, m'kay? Have faith in us." With that he gave Bella a searing kiss, one that he poured all his heart into, wanting Bella to feel secure about their relationship. He wanted her to trust that he wasn't the type of guy that would just throw their relationship away for the first pretty college girl that he saw. It effectively ended anymore discussion on that topic.

"C'mon, it's getting late. We better get dressed and get you home. We've got an early day tomorrow," Riley said after their kiss.

They both got dressed, packed up their tent and belongings, and Riley took Bella home. They lingered on her front porch. Bella didn't want to go inside.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Bella uttered.

"I know. I'm gonna miss you too. I bet I'll miss you more. But, we've been over and over this."

"I know. It's just...I hate that you're leaving tomorrow. I wish we had more time," Bella admitted.

"Time did creep a bit too fast on us, but what can we do. It is what it is."

"Yeah," Bella stated, her voice now resigned.

"Hey, have you ever heard the expression, 'days are gold'?"

"Um, yeah, I think I know what you mean."

"Well, today...this last day with you. It's gold. You and I, we are gold and we'll be gold forever. Do you get me?"

"Um, sort of?" It sounded more like a question.

"What I mean is, I know you want to cry because I'm leaving. I guess that may or may not be helped. But just remember that you've got me and that I've got you. We're that strong. We're standing in a light that won't fade. Tomorrow is coming, but this, you and me, won't change. It's because we're gold. Some days stay gold forever. The memories I've made with you today ,and for the whole time we've been together, are ones that I'm going take with me to Stanford and will carry with me my whole life through. You keep that in mind whenever you're feeling down about me being gone or insecure about what might happen when we're apart. You and I, Bella, we're gold. Okay? Whenever you feel overwhelmed during our separation, remember that I'm with you always and I'm gonna do the same. Our love is gold. Never lose sight of that."

"I understand now," Bella affirmed. After Riley said what he had said, she felt somewhat better about his leaving.

Despite this, Bella still tossed and turned in her sleep for most of the night after Riley went home. Well, knowing that she'd have to bid adieu to her boyfriend in the morning, didn't exactly lend itself to restful sleep, even after the impassioned speech he had made.

The next day, Charlie and Bella, along with Edward, joined the caravan to Seattle, all of the folks seeing Riley and his family off to California. Charlie thought it was a great idea to have Edward along, confident that his daughter's best friend would be there to comfort her because she'd undoubtedly be extremely sad and upset during the long drive back to Forks.

The rest of the Biers would return to Forks after two weeks, enough time to get Riley settled at school. Bella knew that the sting of Riley having left would once again be felt once his family returned to Forks without him.

Despite the sadness she felt, Bella tried to put on a brave face. She was on the verge of a breakdown, but she tried her best not to show it. She could just feel though that everyone, apart from Riley, in the airport group looked at her with pity, even though everyone tried their best not to make it obvious. Or maybe it was just all her imagination and she could chalk it up to her being upset.

Edward knew, though, just how Bella felt. He could easily tell that Bella was putting on a show; trying to put on a brave face for everyone, while she was really all torn up inside. He knew her so well. He'd make it a point to be more available to his best friend in the next coming days, because he knew that Bella would be needing him.

As much as Bella just wanted to steal Riley and have him all to herself, she understood that there were a lot of people that was going to miss him too and needed their time with him as well to give him their well-wishes and proper farewells. She had no choice, but to share him.

At least, he never left her side the whole time they were there in the airport. There was constant contact, whether it was them holding hands, or him having his arm around her, or they clinging to one another for dear life. Their contact evolved as the time grew closer for them to have to separate and Riley had to go catch his plane. Bella cherished these last bits of closeness she had. She knew better than anyone that it would be the last time for a long while she'd have his touch.

Before Riley and his family had to absolutely go through security, Riley whisked Bella away from the crowd, wanting to spend time with his girl alone. He found a secluded area in the terminal where he and Bella could just be...be together. Not much was said. They'd already said all the words, after all. They just most of the time wrapped up in one another's embrace, holding on to their last bit of couple time before he was to board that plane. The tears started to fall softly from both their eyes. Bella wiped the tears away on Riley's face and he did the same with her. They shared a final kiss before their little bubble was broken and he had to go. They walked hand-in-hand to the security gate and shared one final embrace. He whispered, "I love you" to her and she whispered it back, then she let him go and he walked on through to the other side. He waved a final goodbye to everyone, blew Bella a butterfly kiss, then was off. Bella watched him until she could no longer see his back, him disappearing into the crowd.

That was it. Riley had left.

In the car, on the way back to Forks, Bella clung to Edward in the backseat, sobbing softly on his shoulder, wetting his shirt. He didn't mind. It wasn't the first time. He held her tight, stroking her back, doing his best to soothe her. He knew no words would do to calm her at this time. She needed to have her cry.

Edward was just glad he could be there for Bella, especially during a time like this. He was glad that they had one another for these kind of times. He didn't know where they'd be if they didn't have one another.

Bella was just as grateful. She didn't know what she would've done if Edward hadn't been with her on this trip back. She had her best friend holding her on one of the worst days. He was more than her shoulder to cry on. He was the one holding her together when she was on the verge of falling apart.

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**End A/N: **Just FYI, in case you recognized it-yes, the title of this chapter was inspired by The Wanted's song, "Gold Forever." The Wanted is one of my favorite groups/music at the moment, so you'll probably find me gathering a lot of inspiration from them moving forward. You guys do know the "Glad You Came" guys, right? If you haven't heard of them-Google them. I don't think you'll be sorry. Also, I cleverly interwoven some of the lyrics of the song into Riley's impassioned speech to Bella-thought it fit really well and made his speech all the more heartwarming. My opinion only, of course.

If you want to look up the song and the lyrics:  . 

-Chapter 12 is really 95% done, so I plan to post it very soon. Originally, I was gonna post the two chapters together, but I realized I have some work to do on it still (NGL, it's a very difficult chapter and I really want it "pretty") & I made you loyal readers wait long enough since my last update, so I'll give you this one first. I'll be back to working on it just as soon as this update goes through.

Here's the teaser:

_It wasn't exactly how Riley wanted his impromptu trip back home to go, but he wasn't going to let the weather dampen his mood. Nothing could actually rain on his enthusiasm for going back to Forks, because he was going home to see his girl, his love, Bella. He couldn't wait to have Bella in his arms again. Although, he missed his parents and was excited to see his family and friends back home in Forks, he missed Bella the most, naturally, and mainly wanted to see her and spend his time home with her. It would be a short visit, but he would make the most of it. Albeit he hadn't even been gone from home all too long, school had really only just begun; however, he'd already felt that it was a long enough to be away from his girlfriend. He had to go home to see her._

-And, erm,I lied to you guys again. Looks like the o/s inspiration which started this whole crazy journey, "The Seduction Through Song" will actually be Ch. 16, not 15. Sorry! No, I'm not purposely trying to add chapters in between now & then, and just to keep pushing back the transition between Edward and Bella's relationship from friendship to more- it's just that I miscalculated once more. Told you guys I was bad in math. Also, I really have this strange numbers OCD thing, so I have to lay out the chapters accordingly; otherwise, it'll drive me crazy. I think, though, that this is absolutely right now. I had a friend help me with the math & laying the chapters out accordingly-tee hee. But, like I said, we're on track for that transition b/w Edward and Bella's relationship. Stay tuned.

See y'all next chapter!


	16. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: ****************TISSUE WARNING!**************HEARTFAIL WARNING!**************

There will be character death in this chapter, and all I got to say is I apologize, but it had to be done. It was in the plans all along. There are reasons for this. Look at the bigger picture.

So, please don't hate me! Please don't flame me in the reviews! And I sincerely hope that this doesn't cause you to flounce.

For the record, although I do read angsty stories, I'm generally not a fan of writing too much angst into my stories, but sometimes the plot line requires heart-fail. Believe me, this chapter was harder on me to write than probably for any of you to read it.

**LOVE IT? HATE IT?**

**LET ME KNOW IN A REVIEW**

**I'LL PUT ON MY BIG GIRL PANTIES & READ WHAT YOU THOUGHT**

**EVEN THOUGH I'M SCARED FOR MYSELF W/ THIS CHAPTER**

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**Chapter 12: The Darkest Of Days**

_**October-Junior Year...**_

Riley grabbed his messenger bag and waved bye to his roommate and his group of friends that were gathered and made his way out of the campus lounge. He realized he'd left his umbrella inside as soon as he stepped out into the rain, but he knew he had no time to go back in and retrieve it. If he stepped back inside, his friends would just rope him into joining them again and he couldn't afford to waste anymore time. He was already running late as it was. His roommate would just have to grab the umbrella and take it back to their dorm room for him. He fired off a quick text to Nate, his roommate, and got a swift response in return. His roommate had urged him to just stay and keep dry; however, there was nothing that would stop him from leaving.

Riley placed his messenger bag on his head, although it provided little shelter from the rain, and jogged across the courtyard to his dorm to grab his things. His bags were already packed and he just needed to wait for his ride to the bus station. There was no way he wasn't going home to Forks. Although, since he was soaked, a quick hot shower and a change of clothes were in order. It would have to be really quick, because he'd be damned if he missed his bus.

On this rare day, the California sun had been replaced by a steady downpour. It had been raining for most of the day, but Riley didn't mind as much as some of his buddies at school. His buddies griped about having to be kept inside for the day, but from what he had just left over at the campus lounge, his buddies were occupying themselves just fine.

Riley was used to all this gray weather. After all, he had grown up in Forks. Forks has always been one of the towns with an higher than average rainfall for the year, and Washington wasn't considered one of the wettest states in the nation for no good reason. Riley knew that a little rain never hurt anybody.

It seemed that the whole half of the Western US was getting a ton of rain and it was pouring all the way up the coast from Southern California to Washington. Since he was heading back to Forks, Riley was prepared for a rain-filled trek and to not see the sun for days, especially now that it was Fall. In fact, he was betting he'd even see snow before his trip was through and he was back at school.

It wasn't exactly how Riley wanted his impromptu trip back home to go, but he wasn't going to let the weather dampen his mood or ruin his plans. Nothing could actually curb his enthusiasm for going back to Forks, because he was going home to see his girl-his love, Bella. He couldn't wait to have Bella in his arms again. Although, he missed his parents and was excited to see his family and friends back home in Forks, he missed Bella the most, naturally, and mainly wanted to see her and spend his time home with her.

It would be a short visit, but he would make the most of it. Albeit he hadn't even been gone from home all too long, school had really only just begun; however, he'd already felt that it was a long enough to be away from his girlfriend. He'd endured being apart from her all these weeks. He had to go home to see her. He couldn't wait until the holidays started. That was still too far off in the distance.

The last time he'd seen Bella was when he surprised her for her birthday back in September. It was another short visit, even shorter than this one that he planned. He was fortunate that her birthday fell on a weekend. He literally was on a plane after school on a Friday, arriving late that night in Forks, spent all of her Saturday birthday with her and enjoyed the party, then was back on a plane Sunday morning.

It was an exhausting trip, not to mention it put a huge dent in his budget hence why he was taking the Greyhound back to Forks this time around, but he wouldn't have missed Bella's sixteenth birthday for the world. That just wasn't what good boyfriends did. The priceless look on Bella's face made the trip all worth it.

However, that trip had already been a month ago. It was time to see Bella again. Since it was more difficult for Bella to come visit him, the effort fell on Riley's shoulders.

School was only going to be out for two days for a special Alumni celebration that Stanford was having in honor of its anniversary. It was actually a week long celebration jam-packed with events culminating in what's supposed to be a huge party for the school on Saturday. It was all nothing Riley was remotely interested in. He'd rather be home in Forks with Bella and his family. Riley saw that he could take advantage of his schedule during the short break, enabling him to actually tack on a few more days, which gave him just enough time to make a trip home and so that was what he did. The best part was that he happened to know that it would coincide with Bella's Fall break, which gave him even more motivation to head home.

Anyway, he would never have passed on an opportunity to be able to go home to Forks and visit Bella. He was going to have to miss a class or two here and there, due to the nature of the long bus trip, but getting to kiss Bella after being apart for some time was better than sitting in a classroom listening to a boring lecture any day. He'd just have to make up the work he missed for those classes, which he didn't mind at all doing, just so he could have Bella in his arms.

Although flights would've taken him home much sooner, which would've been more ideal, the bus trip was cheaper. There was no way he could afford another plane trip to Forks so soon after the last one and it wasn't like his parents were going to send him money just so he could skip school and return to Forks because he missed and wanted to see his girlfriend. They didn't even condone the idea of this trip when he even first brought it up.

Their stance was clear. They weren't going to fund his impromptu trips home, just so he could visit with Bella. They'd take care of having him home for the holidays and other important family events; however, they weren't going to pay for him to come home whenever he wanted for the sake of him just wanting to be home and especially just for visits with his girlfriend. They wanted his focus more on school, which meant they wanted him to be at school more often than not. Certainly, he was always welcomed home whenever he wanted to come back, but he'd have to fund these types of trips on his own dime. It was to teach him financial responsibility.

His parents stance annoyed Riley, but he could respect and understand where his parents were coming from. He had no choice, but to live on a budget that was set for him while he was in school.

Unfortunately, he'd already known he'd go over budget with Bella's birthday trip. However, he had no regrets about going home for that trip whatsoever.

Therefore, that was how Riley found himself on a Greyhound bound for Port Angeles. He wanted to go home to Forks again and this was the only way he could afford it. Once he got to Port Angeles, he'd take another bus to Forks.

He could've just called his parents to pick him up at the bus station in Port Angeles, saving him some trouble, but he wanted his visit to be a surprise. He hadn't actually confirmed to his parents that he was making this trip after he bounced the idea with them. It was clear they were against it and preferred that he just stayed on campus and enjoyed the college's anniversary week festivities. But, Riley was technically an adult now and had a mind of his own. Nothing was going to stop him from going home, including his parent's disapproval.

Riley felt that his impromptu arrival might be better received if he just showed up at their doorstep so to speak. There would no chance for them to turn him away if he was already physically in Forks. If he had called them from Port Angeles, there was a good chance they'd leave him stranded there and order him to make his way back to Stanford. That just wasn't going to do and he didn't want to take the risk.

There was no one else back in Forks that he trusted and could help him pull off his surprise homecoming. Anyone who could help would've either blabbed it to the whole town or wouldn't be able to give him a ride. Most of his younger friends, Bella's peer group, that was left back in Forks were just all starting to get their driver's licenses.

So, he'd already made a plan that he thought was best. He couldn't wait to see the look on Bella's face when he shows up on her doorstep. Riley thought, just like the last time he surprised her with a visit, the priceless look she'd get on her face would make the trip again worthwhile.

Admittedly, Riley was also looking forward to getting some sexy times with his beloved girlfriend. He was still a young, hot-blooded male after all. It wasn't easy living practically like a monk while he's away at school. There was a lot of temptation around campus, and it didn't help that his roommate Nate had his girlfriend with him and they saw each other often, leaving Riley to occupy himself to give them their privacy. His new buddies at school also seemed to always have a bevy of beauties around as well. They'd riled Riley often about wanting to remain faithful to his girlfriend back home.

Riley knew that it would be quite easy to find the release he needed. Basically, he wasn't lacking for options.

Of course, none of the other girls he'd seen and met on campus held a candle to his Bella. She was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on; she still had his heart. But, the fact remained, the girls on campus were readily available.

However, he wasn't going to do that to Bella. It was exactly the thing that Bella was afraid of. There was no way he was going to perpetuate her fear. It was all the more reason why he needed to make these sort of trips back home to see Bella; to remind himself how good he has it with her. That would keep him in line.

Riley had resisted temptation thus far and he didn't plan on that changing anytime soon. He was quite proud of himself for that.

The hours seemed to pass slowly on the bus as it made its way up the coast bound for Washington , but Riley kept himself busy. He'd brought some reading material he had to read for his classes, plus he had his laptop and his iPod to also pass the time. Of course, there were the texts back and forth with Bella. Riley laughed to himself knowing that Bella had no idea he was texting her from on a bus and that he was headed home to see her, and naturally, he didn't let on at all what he was doing.

Riley had kept mostly to himself during his ride on the bus, choosing not to socialize with the rest of the bus patrons. Thankfully, the bus wasn't really all that crowded when he got on in San Francisco. Riley actually had the whole row of seats to himself. That all changed when the bus stopped in Portland and it picked up more passengers bound for Seattle. Riley made room for a young mother traveling with her little girl. Although, Riley would've preferred to have been sitting alone, he felt fortunate that his seat mates weren't an old, smelly dude, nor a strange, creepy cat lady, nor a suspicious-looking man who looked liked he just escaped from some kind of detention facility.

As much as Riley tried to keep to himself, the little girl refused to be ignored and had gained Riley's attention the rest of the trip. He ended up happily chatting with the little girl, Annie, and her mother, Christie, whom at first apologized for having such a talkative daughter. Riley started not minding.

Riley had to admit that little Annie was cute and charming, and actually reminded him of a young Bella. At least, she was who Riley imagined Bella might've been like when she was the same age. He hadn't known Bella when they were younger. He could almost just picture Bella being Annie, especially since they had the same wavy, chestnut colored hair with flecks of auburn thrown in and the same big, brown eyes. However, Riley was certain that Bella no longer wore her hair in pigtails the way Annie did. Although, after he thought about it a little more, he thought he may just ask his Bella to wear her hair in pigtails just once for him. He figured Bella would look mighty sexy.

Thinking about Bella made Riley all the more excited to finally be home, so he could just hold her. He also definitely planned to have Bella in pigtails and him doing more than just holding her before his trip was over.

Coincidentally, after talking with the young mother and daughter, Riley found out that they were also going to Forks and would be taking the same bus transfer that Riley was going to take from Port Angeles. Riley never thought in a million years he'd meet someone else on the bus bound for Forks just like he was. He now had a trip companion in Christie and her daughter.

Since Forks was a small town, Riley knew of Christie's family, and vice-versa, although they had never really known one another. Christie was a few years older, and so they never had run in the same social circles. Although, most of Christie's family had moved on from small time life, her grandfather & grandmother, Annie's great-grandparents, still lived in Forks, warranting the visit from Christie. Christie wanted Annie to know her great-grandparents before they passed on. With opportunities limited for a visit and her grandparents getting advanced in age, Christie felt that this visit may be the first and last time her grandparents would know Annie. Riley thought it was nice of Christie to even bother to make an effort to go back just so Annie can meet her great-grandparents.

In turn, Riley relayed why he was returning Forks. Christie thought it was quite romantic of him to do what he was doing and offered to help Riley by giving him a ride home from the bus station. In this way, Riley didn't have to trouble his parents and his visit would truly be a complete surprise. However, instead of heading to his home first, Riley asked if it would be alright if he'd get dropped off at Bella's house, and luckily for him, it was on the way to Christie's grandparents' house, so it was going to be no trouble at all. Riley was very grateful to Christie for her assistance and the newfound friendship they had forged.

The rest of the bus trip for Riley was exponentially more pleasant having Christie and Annie to talk to. He and Christie talked a lot about life back in Forks and how different it was to live elsewhere. Annie entertained him thoroughly. She was smart, sassy, and witty for her age, and Riley couldn't believe half the things that came out of the little girl's mouth.

Annie was really the one that had gotten Riley to admit that the main reason for his trip was to see his girlfriend. She teased him like only a little girl could and asked him a ton of questions about Bella. Although, Annie was towing the line between getting a little too personal with the questions she were asking.

Christie finally interjected when Annie asked if Riley ever slept with Bella the way her mommy and daddy did and saw how uncomfortable Riley became at the invasiveness of the question. To ease the sudden tension, Christie teased him about dating Chief Swan's daughter and how the good Chief was going to raise a questioning eyebrow when he finds him unexpectedly visiting his daughter when Riley should've been nearly 1000 miles away at school.

Riley couldn't worry about what Chief Swan was going to think. He couldn't even worry about how his own parents were probably going to ream him for having come home now. All he knew was that he missed Bella terribly and that he just had to see her. He wasn't going to last another week without seeing her, let alone another month until Thanksgiving which was supposed to be when he was going to see her again.

Missing Bella and being unable to cope without her was exactly the reason why Riley decided not to go too far away for school. California wasn't exactly close, but at least it wasn't halfway across the country, making it harder to go back home to Forks when he needed to and make impromptu trips such as this.

As much as he'd rather have attended the University of Washington in Seattle, which was even closer than Stanford U; however, Bella would have none of it. Attending Stanford was kind of the happy compromise between what Riley, Bella, and his parents wanted. For the most part, Riley was happy being at Stanford, and he was enjoying his college experience, but it still didn't mean he didn't want to see Bella every chance he could.

He loved Bella after all and just couldn't wait for the time they could be together more freely, once she had graduated. Of course, anything could happen between now and her graduation, but Riley couldn't help but feel that they would stick it out together and make it through any obstacle they faced, the first being the distance between them at the moment. There was no telling where Bella would be heading to college, it wasn't even anything she was thinking about currently, but he had a feeling that even though they might not end up going to the same school, somehow he'd do anything to even be in the same city together.

But, alas, that was all further down the road. Right now, he'd concentrate on making the most of his short visit with her and making this visit be able to last him until the next time he could return back to Forks to see her again, which most likely would be at Thanksgiving. However, Riley had a sneaking feeling that his parents might decide to come down to the Bay Area and spend the holiday there with him and the rest of the family that lived in Cali; they'd been hinting that they'd always wanted to once again have a huge Thanksgiving family gathering and that could be their chance.

If that was the case, and it was something Riley was definitely going to discuss with them during this visit, Riley would have to wait until the Winter break before he'd be able to return to Forks and be with Bella again. That was going to be a long time. Riley wasn't sure if he could wait.

Riley was certain that Chief Swan wouldn't be too keen about sending Bella with his parents to Stanford to visit him for the Thanksgiving holiday. Naturally, he'd want Bella to spend that time with him. Although, it never hurt to ask. He'd definitely plant some ideas for the Chief to consider while he was in town.

It took all of Riley's willpower to have lasted this long without seeing Bella since her birthday. He'd made due with the texts, emails, phone calls, and skyping. In truth, though, it was all not nearly enough. He needed to see her, touch her, talk to her face to face, and have some sort of physical contact with her. Riley didn't care if that all made him sound sappy and clingy. The fact remained-he loved his girl. Not being able to touch her on a daily basis was what already had him being driven crazy; never mind the mind-blowing sex he also missed having with his beloved girlfriend.

Again, he was getting ahead of himself. He really needed to just focus on the here and now. However, when it came to thinking about Bella, he just couldn't help but think of the future, even if the future just meant when he was going to be seeing her again.

The bus finally pulled into the Port Angeles bus station and Riley, Christie, and Annie made their way to their transfer bus. They decided to sit all together again.

Riley was relieved that he was one step closer to being in Bella's arms. He'd already been on the bus nearly twenty-four hours, and naturally, he was tired. He knew when he finally arrived in Forks, he'd have just enough time to see Bella before she'd be heading for bed. He'd get to kiss her goodnight and then he could go home and have a nice, restful sleep in his own bed.

The rain hadn't let up at all since Riley left the Bay Area. In fact, since having arrived in Seattle, the rain was considerably worse. The rain was pouring down in sheets so thick that no one could really see through the wall of water that was raining down from the sky. Riley thought that this downpour of rain may just be as bad or even worse than if it was snow falling.

Riley admired the bus drivers for trudging on in the mess and keeping on schedule, because he knew that it mustn't have been easy for them to be driving in the treacherous weather. For certain, the bus was making the windshield wipers work twice as hard. However bad the weather, the bus trudged on, albeit slowly, bound for Forks and surprising full up. With more passengers coming in from buses from other cities across the nation making the same bus transfer to Forks in Port Angeles.

Christie expressed that she'd be relieved when they finally arrived safely in Forks and they were all no longer out and about in the torrential rain. Naturally, the weather worried her. It started to worry Riley as well. Riley couldn't agree more that with this storm, it was a good time to have stayed indoors.

The loud booming of thunder and the flashes of lightning were starting to scare little Annie. Christie and Riley did their best to preoccupy the girl, so she wouldn't focus as much on the terrible storm that loomed just above them. If the two adults were to be completely honest, distracting Annie was also a way to distract themselves from the storm as well.

A soft ping alerted Riley to an incoming text and by the huge smile on his face, Christie already knew it was from his girl. Annie couldn't help giggle at the goofy-looking Riley. Christie thought it was so sweet that he'd light up just from having received a text from his girlfriend. She never saw a young guy so in love. She and Annie left him to texting Bella back and forth.

Riley was getting excited. Soon, he'd be able to see and hold his Bella. He could hardly wait. It wasn't long now. The bus was nearing Forks. He fired off a simple last text to Bella after letting her know that he had to go and he'd call her very soon, planning to make that call right at her doorstep.

**I love you. Forever and Always. xxx**

Then all hell broke loose. Extreme chaos ensued.

Screams began to echo on the bus as it started swerving back and forth. It apparently had hit a patch of water and started to hydroplane.

Christie held Annie in her arms and began to pray. Riley was in shock, his eyes wide with surprise. Never could he have imagined something like this happening to him. He then looked out the window and suddenly saw a pair of bright lights heading directly towards the bus.

Without even thinking, he shielded Christie and Annie as a loud crash rang through his ears. The sound of metal twisting and bending under pressure filled the air, intermixed with the screams and other cries. Riley couldn't really comprehend what was happening, but all he knew was that the bus seemed to be tipping onto its side.

Then there was silence.

And everything went black.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

The call of a terrible traffic accident just outside the town's limits on the 101 came into the Forks Police Station and Chief Charlie Swan gathered his officers immediately and headed over to the scene. They weren't at all prepared for what they encountered. It was a messy and horrific scene. The steady downpour did not help matters.

Not only was the Express bus, in-bound from Port Angeles, involved, but there was also a semi and about ten cars that had all crashed altogether. Chief Swan already knew that it had all to do with the terrible weather. The storm made for really difficult driving conditions, and while Chief Swan expected a few traffic accident calls that evening, he never could've imagined anything like this. Fortunately, the emergency responders had already made it to the accident site just as quickly as his force, as well as police from Port Angeles, who Charlie called in just as soon as he saw the wreckage-he knew his manpower was simply not enough to handle an accident of this capacity.

According to eyewitnesses, it seemed that The Express from Port Angeles had encountered difficulties traveling in the heavy rain and it was what started the chain reaction of crashes. The bus hydroplaned on the extremely wet and slippery road, causing it to swerve drastically and briefly cross over to the oncoming lane. Visible skid marks still on the road confirmed the account. Then as the driver probably tried to correct the initial mistake, it was hit by the semi coming from the opposite direction, whose driver had not initially seen the bus cross over to his lane and couldn't brake in time in order to avoid colliding with the bus. The impact caused the bus to again swerve drastically causing cars approaching from behind it to collide into it and one another as well. Due to the slippery conditions, it was difficult for the drivers to brake and avoid crashing into one another amidst seeing the bus crash. If anything, braking suddenly only further served to slip and slide along the road. The bus finally ended up landing on its side, partly in a ditch, by the side of the road.

Obviously, with an accident of this caliber, the two-lane highway between Port Angeles and Forks had to be closed down, thus causing more headaches for the joint police forces. Regardless that there weren't as many cars traveling on this highway between the two towns, as would be the case for larger cities, it was the only thoroughfare between the two towns. Shutting it down like they had was a huge inconvenience. All the emergency responders and police forces need to work this scene quickly in order to open up the highway once again.

Luckily for the driver and passengers of the semi-truck and the cars that crashed, only a few minor injuries were had. Many were able to be treated on scene. Unfortunately, the driver and passengers of the bus weren't so lucky.

The bus had taken the brunt of the accident and had encountered the most damage. The bus driver, along with seven other passengers on the bus were found to have been killed instantly and were already dead upon arrival of the police and emergency responders. There was simply nothing they could do for them now.

There were several more passengers who had been pulled from the wreckage of the bus and were severely injured, a few of which were highly critical, and it was questionable as to whether a couple of them would even make it in the end, their injuries having been quite bad. The two most critical of the patients from the bus were airlifted to a hospital in Seattle, the paramedics feeling that was the best course of action under the circumstances and for their injuries.

For the rest of the injured victims that required hospitalization, were being rushed to the hospitals in Port Angeles and Forks. The patients with more severe traumas were taken to Port Angeles, while folks who suffered from only minor injuries and couldn't be treated on scene were being taken to the nearby Forks hospital, which was a smaller hospital and not exactly equipped to handle major trauma resulting from an accident of this size. In fact, this accident had the emergency rooms of both hospitals busier than they had ever been in years.

The dead had laid in a row alongside the wreckage of the bus, shielded from prying eyes, and respectfully covered by sheets. As soon as all the business that needed to be done on scene was finished, they were transported to the medical examiner's office in Forks, who had jurisdiction, and she began the morose task of her work.

The Forks ME had a long night ahead of her. Carla Maxwell and her team went to work examining the bodies, determining their causes of death, and then identifying the bodies. Apart from the bus driver, all of those who were lost were returning Forks residents. It was heartbreaking, since the ME and her team knew all of the families of the dead. One body in particular had her actually breaking down in tears before she collected herself to phone Chief Swan.

Chief Swan would have the grim task of contacting the next of kin. However, before he did, Carla had urged him to come to her office. There was something she needed to talk to him about and for him to see. Charlie was finishing up his reports on the accident, then promised to make a visit down to her office.

Before even having received Carla's call, Charlie already knew that among the dead were Forks residents. He had prepared himself and his officers for the grim news.

The only exception was that of the bus driver, who was determined to be a resident of Port Angeles, since The Express was run out of that town. His body was being transported to the Port Angeles ME's office for proper processing and handling before it's turned over to his family. Of course, the bus driver could easily be a Forks resident as well and just worked out of Port Angeles. Charlie knew there were many folks from Forks that commuted to the bigger city because of work.

It was more heartbreaking for Charlie to hear that all of those that died were actually returning Forks residents, folks who were coming back to town for visits. They had loved ones waiting for their return. Now those families would receive the worst news about their loved ones whom they were awaiting the arrival of. Already the calls were coming into the station from worried loved ones inquiring about the bus accident.

Chief Swan did not look forward to the task of breaking the terrible news to the families in Forks. The town was small and a very close knit community. He knew that this accident would affect the people of his town for a long time to come, especially with the amount of people that had fallen. Six dead may not seem like a whole lot overall, but in a town the size of Forks, it was a big enough number of people to lose all at once.

Charlie couldn't even remember the town having had a tragedy of this extent in all the time he'd been the Chief of Police of Forks. It would be a first.

Apart from those that passed, there were still those that were injured. He had already alerted the hospitals to keep him updated on the conditions of those admitted, so that he may also keep the town informed. The same went for the Port Angeles police department.

Indeed, it was a very sad day for Forks, and surely more sad days were to come. What with funerals that were surely in order and worry for those severely injured parties who possibly weren't going to make it. Charlie already knew that the town would be grieving for some time.

Charlie made a requisite phone call to the mayor of Forks, giving the mayor the details of the terrible, unfortunate, accident. The mayor had already heard about the accident, but was unaware of how much of a tragedy it really was. He was also very saddened by the news. The mayor activated his disaster response team to help take care of the town in the face of the tragedy. Needless to say, it was one of the first phone calls Charlie wished he hadn't had to have made.

Charlie made his way over to the ME's office, making sure to avoid the press that were eager for news of the accident. No one was ready to make a statement or comment at the moment. He and the Mayor had a press conference set for the morning.

Carla's team was still busy diligently finishing up their tasks and preparing the bodies for return to their loved ones. When she noticed Charlie, she immediately stopped what she was doing, assigning one of her team members to finish up her current task. She needed to talk to Charlie above anything else, because she had some bad news to share with him specifically.

"Charlie, I'm glad you're here. If I may have a moment of your time?"

"Sure thing, Carla. Was there something you needed from me? You don't usually have me come to your office while you're working on things like the accident."

"I know, but tonight is an unusual case," she said, sadly.

"It was a grim scene, wasn't it?" For which Carla nodded. "What can I help you with?"

"Charlie, when you were at the scene, did you help with body recovery?" Carla had to ask. She had a suspicion that Charlie had no idea of what she now knew.

"Uh, no...I left that up to the emergency responders. I was pretty much directing the scene. Someone needed to be level-headed and organize everybody. It was utter chaos over there."

"Yes, I suppose it was a chaotic situation," Carla agreed. "I could understand why..." she didn't continue.

"Why do you ask Carla? What's up? Something the matter?"

"Charlie, I don't exactly know how to break things to you. I don't even know what to say. I think it'll be better if I just show you. Come with me, I need to show you something," Carla said, her voice sad once more. Under her breath she muttered, "Rather, I need to show you someone."

Carla led Charlie to the morgue room, where the bodies who have already been processed were stored. She made her way to a drawer.

"What is this, Carla? What's going on?" Charlie exclaimed, his voice thick with tension. He was starting to get worried.

"I just need you to look, Charlie," Carla simply said.

The body that was contained in the drawer was one of the first ones that was brought into Carla's office to be examined. When she first looked upon of the face of the young man that laid before her, she instantly recognized who he was. Instantly, her heart felt for his parents, a couple she had known for a long time and considered friends. Her heart also felt for the other loved ones she knew he'd also now had just left behind.

Two of the young man's loved ones, were none other than Chief Swan himself and his daughter, Bella. She was devastated for them.

She had a feeling that Chief Swan, who was at the scene of the accident, probably had no idea since he was more likely quite busy with the tasks that laid before him. As a duty to her friend, she promised that she'd be the one to break the heartbreaking news to him before anything else.

Admittedly, knowing that this boy was taken way too soon, she was overcome with emotion, wanting to cry for all the people she personally knew who'd now be grief-stricken once they learned of his passing, but because she was there in a professional capacity, she reined in her emotions and went about her work. She still couldn't help but let a few tears fall.

The work Carla's team had that night was definitely grim and she'd be lying if she said it was work as usual. In their line of work, Carla and her small team had learned to basically shut off their emotions. They were dealing with the dead after all. They treated every body just as a job; they did what they needed to do and then moved on.

However, on this night, it was one of the hardest days of work for Carla and her team as they began to start working on those that perished in the terrible accident and knowing every single one of them and their ties to their community of Forks. The team really didn't need to sort through the belongings of those who passed to know who they were exactly and who they'd left behind in their small town. Seeing their various forms of identification only further confirmed their worst nightmares. Furthermore, having to jot down their causes of death on the official paperwork was heart wrenching for the team. They did not at all envy Chief Swan's upcoming task of notifying the families and were grateful that it wasn't a part of their jobs. Their job had already been difficult enough.

As they stopped in front of one of the drawers, Charlie couldn't help but get a sense of foreboding. He only needed to look at Carla's bleak face to also confirm that something was assuredly wrong.

"Who is it, Carla? Someone I know?" Charlie asked Carla warily. Carla just nodded and gestured for him to take a look. She opened the drawer, exposing a body covered in a white sheet.

Charlie shakily pulled back the ominous, white sheet. One glance at the now peaceful looking face had him breaking down instantly.

"Riley?" His voice quivered in question. "Riley Biers?" He asked again to no one in particular. "Nooo...it can't be," he started to say, in denial.

Carla began to tear up as well. Sadly she confirmed it to Charlie, "I'm afraid it is. I'm so sorry, Chief."

"No...no...this can't be. He isn't supposed to be here. He's supposed to be in school at Stanford. What the hell, Carla?"

"I guess he was coming home for a visit," Carla offered.

"A visit? He was on the Express? I didn't know of any visit. I would think that... Nooo...," Charlie once again wailed. "Noo...nooo...he can't be gone," Charlie continued to lament. "This can't be. Are we sure it's him?"

"I know it's unbelievable, Charlie, but we both know it's Riley," Carla said, her own voice shaky from her soft sobs.

Charlie could hardly believe what was going on. There, laying before him in a body bag was Riley.

Riley, a young man, who had his whole life stretched out before him. He was only eighteen. Charlie knew that Riley's birthday was coming up because Bella was all in a frenzy over it. He personally had dropped her off at three area malls, just so she could find the perfect gift.

Now, Riley was gone.

There were so many hopes and dreams dashed. There were experiences he had yet to experience. He had only begun to live. He couldn't have been taken.

In the first place, he shouldn't have been on this bus. He should've been back at school, having his college experience, learning about computers, and having fun with his newfound college friends. He was supposed to be alive and safe.

But as Charlie came to realize, the sad reality was that Riley was indeed gone. His life cut short tragically.

As much as Charlie wished this whole incident was a terrible dream, it wasn't a dream. It was, however, a living nightmare.

Riley was gone. One of those that perished in the terrible accident.

"Again, I'm so sorry, Charlie," Carla stated. "I know how close you two must've been."

"I...I don't understand why he was on the bus at all. He shouldn't have been here," Charlie uttered in despair.

"I don't think we'll ever know the hows and whys, Charlie. But, the fact of the matter is that he was and he was one of the unfortunate ones."

"How did he go? Do you know?" Charlie asked of Carla. "I hope it was quick and that he didn't suffer."

"I don't think he suffered at all. He was knocked unconscious and that was it. I think he went peacefully. You'll probably be happy to know that he died saving others' lives."

"What? What do you mean? How do you know that?"

"One of my team later told me that he'd gotten into a conversation with one of the paramedics. The paramedic called into the office and wanted to check if a Riley was on our list of the deceased, since he hadn't been able to locate any Riley being transported to any hospital. Seems this paramedic's patient, a little girl, was asking about him. The little girl was adamant and in turn, the nice paramedic was determined to find out word for her. It turned out, the same went for the little girl's mother, Christie Landers. You remember the Landers, don't you? Well, most of the Landers have since moved away, but Old Man Landers and his wife still live in town. They would be Christie's grandparents. I guess Christie was going to visit them with her little girl. Anyway, as the story goes, according to the paramedic, that Christie and her little girl wouldn't be alive at all if it hadn't been for Riley. Of course, we can't know for sure what happened, but based on what has already been said, I'm just putting two and two together and thinking that Riley sacrificed his life in order to save theirs. It was probably a heroic thing for him to do. It was very sad for Don to have to relay to the paramedic that Riley was indeed one of the confirmed deceased."

"He saved the Landers' granddaughter and her little girl? Whaddya know. Well, that's something. He didn't die in vain. Riley was exactly that kind of young man. And, it's comforting to know that he probably went peacefully. But, oh my God, Carla, he's gone! This is terrible," Charlie further lamented.

"I know. It was shocking for me, too, and so heartbreaking," Carla agreed with Charlie. "When I first saw him, all I could think about was you and your daughter and his family in town."

"Meredith and Tom," Charlie began to say. "They're going to be so devastated. I've got to tell them in person. And, oh my God, Bella. My Bella...he was her boyfriend, you know."

"I know," Carla acknowledged, sadness evident in her voice. "It's the main reason why I thought to make you one of the first to know."

"I appreciate that, Carla. Oh, God! I have to tell Bella. Oh...nooo..., how am I going to tell her this? She's going to be just as devastated as Meredith and Tom. And, oh, his siblings. Bella...she probably didn't even know he was coming home for a visit. I...I have to tell her and...and I don't know how to break this news to her. How can I break her heart like this? It'll just kill her."

"It's not going to be easy, that's for sure," Carla told Charlie sympathetically. "But, I have no doubt that you'll break it to her as gently and compassionately as you could. It'll be a tough job, but remember that you have to be strong for your little girl. I know how hard this must be for you also, but you can't break down. You'll need to be there for her, along with the rest of the people who also love her, and she'll be able to get through this loss. She's young and time is on her side. She will also have Riley's parents and the rest of his family, and they'll get through this terrible loss together."

"They loved each other, y'know. I could see it in the both of them. I was glad that she had found someone like him, even though I still feel she's much too young to be so serious with a boy. But, Riley was a great kid. Such a good boyfriend from what I could see. He, at least, put my mind at ease. I knew that when they were together, he was taking care of her and looked out for her. She finally had found someone who I thought was somewhat worthy of her, since she's had so much bad luck before with dating. Of course, she's my baby, and no boy will ever be good enough, but Riley came pretty close. He'd surprised Bella with a visit for her sixteenth birthday. He had went through a lot of trouble just to be there for her. It made her birthday all the better."

"Yes, Riley was a very nice, good, kind young man. Better than a lot of the boys his same age. Meredith and Tom had raised themselves one of the good ones."

"That he was. God, if there was ever time I didn't want my job...," Charlie commented. "It's not just Riley. It's the rest of the families I'll have to break the bad news to. They were all expecting their loved ones to come home and enjoy their visits, not to plan their funerals."

Carla's tears had ebbed and she put herself together. "I don't envy your job right now. My team and I had already had a tough night, but your work has only really begun. I have no doubt, though, that town will come together be there for everyone in need who experienced a loss with this tragedy. We're a strong community. We won't let this horrible accident beat us or anyone affected."

Charlie looked up at Carla with his tear-stained face and nodded. Carla was right after all with everything she'd said.

He had to break the terrible news to Bella and he had to be strong while doing so. He needed to have strength for Bella. If there was ever a time she needed him to be a strong father, the time was now. He was determined to help her get through the loss of Riley and won't allow this tragedy to destroy his little girl.

He knew that Bella was also going to need all her friends for support and Edward in particular. He also needed to notify Bella's mother. If there was ever a time for her mother to be present, the time was now.

"Carla, thank you for letting me know about Riley. I need to go now. I have to break the news to the Biers and then I've got to go tell my daughter and be with her," Charlie said as he pushed the drawer containing Riley's body closed.

"Of course. You take care. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Bella," Carla told him sincerely.

"I also need the list of the others, so we can start notifying the families," Charlie added.

"We're finishing up the reports and it'll be faxed to your office right away. But, don't you worry about that now. You go let the Biers know and then be with Bella," Carla advised.

Charlie nodded then made his leave. In his squad car, he made several phone calls. The first of which was to Tom and Meredith Biers, letting them know to expect him soon even though it was such a late hour. The second call was to Edward, his daughter's best friend-he needed Edward to be with his daughter once he breaks the bad news of Riley's passing to her.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

"Uh, hello Chief Swan," Edward said into his cell, his voice noticeably wary from receiving a rare phone call from Bella's Chief-of-Police-father.

"_Edward, I don't have too much time to explain right now, but whatever you're doing, you'll have to drop it. I need you to be with Bella."_

"Uh, be with Bella? Why?" Naturally, Edward was confused.

"_Where are you now, son?"_ Charlie asked, instead of answering Edward's question.

"I'm at home. Uh, the storm is wreaking havoc, y'know. Not a good time to be out."

"_Okay, that's good. I'm going to pick you up in...let's say half and hour."_

"Uh, okay," Edward answered tentatively; however, there was no way he was going to refuse the Chief. "But why exactly?" He questioned.

"_Bella's going to need you. Just trust me on this. It'll all be explained once we get home to Bella. Tell your mom and dad I'm coming to get you, okay?"_

"Uh, okay," Edward acknowledged, before he and the Chief hung up.

Edward was still confused, but was willing to go along with Chief Swan. If the Chief says that Bella needed him, then so be it.

"Mom," Edward called out, finding his mom in the kitchen, watching the news.

"What's up Edward?" She asked, her attention still on the news, which was relaying information on the massive traffic accident that occurred earlier on the 101.

"Ahh...so now we know why Dad had to rush off to the hospital," Edward remarked.

"Yes. This bad storm apparently was a factor in that massive accident. It's so tragic. There were fatalities. You can't believe how glad I am that you and your brothers and dad were home safe tonight. I know how often your father and you boys drive that stretch to Port Angeles. I can't imagine if any of you were involved in that mess."

"I guess Chief Swan had his hands full this evening," Edward muttered.

"I assume so," Esme Cullen agreed, nodding into her mug of hot apple cider.

"Uh, speaking of Chief Swan...," Edward segued. "Mom, he just called me and said for me to tell you that he's coming to get me in like less than thirty minutes."

"What? Why, whatever for?"

"I don't really know," Edward said truthfully. "He just said that Bella needs me."

"Hmm...well, that's strange. I would think if Bella needed you, she'd call you herself."

"I know...it's weird. But, I can't exactly refuse the Chief, y'know."

"True. Charlie wouldn't be picking you up if he didn't have a good reason. M'kay. You take care and be a good friend to Bella. Something tells me that something must've happened."

"Yeah, I was figuring, but I have no idea what it could be. As far as I know, Bella's doing alright. Nothing amidst. We actually talked not too long ago. She was spooked by the storm a bit, especially being alone in the house since the Chief no doubt had his hands full with the accident on the 101, but she seemed to feel better after we talked. That's about it."

"Hmm...maybe Charlie just wants you to stay with Bella then until after this storm has passed. He probably doesn't feel right leaving her home alone during this weather. I'm sure he's still busy at the station. Maybe he wants to drop you off to stay with Bella and then he'll head back into work," Esme theorized.

"Maybe. Does that mean I can spend the night?" Edward asked, eager for the opportunity.

"Well, if that's what Chief Swan wants, then it's okay with me. I'll be sure to tell your father. From the looks of things, I guess he'll be pulling an all-nighter at the hospital. Besides, with this storm, I wouldn't want anyone having to shuttle you back and forth. I'll be sure to give Charlie a call later."

"Okay," Edward responded before he turned to walk away to get ready to head over to Bella's house. He then stopped. "Mom, you think Bella's alright?"

"I can't really say, hon. But, there's got to be a good reason as to why her dad wants you there with her. I'm sure you'll know more once you see Bella."

"I'm worried now, Mom," Edward confessed.

Esme walked to her son and wrapped him up in a hug. "I know, baby. Frankly, I'm worried too. Let's not think about what is going on, because we don't really know. Whatever it is, I think the important thing is that her dad wants you to be the best friend to Bella like you always have been, and that's what you need to focus on. Okay?" Edward nodded into her shoulder. "Keep me updated."

"I will," Edward promised, then was off to pack an overnight bag for Bella's house.

He couldn't explain it, but he had a terrible feeling in his gut. He just knew that something was horribly wrong and it had something to do with Bella.

~*o*o*o*o*o*o*~

On the car ride over to Bella's house, Charlie and Edward rode in relative silence. Edward knew that Chief Swan wasn't normally a talkative person in the first place, but on this particular night, he noticed that Bella's father was even more not in the mood for idle chit-chat, and that's why he remained quiet. He still wasn't enlightened as to why he needed to be with Bella for the night, just that Chief Swan was grateful that Esme and Edward had thought to let him stay over, capping the conversation with that Bella would probably love the idea that Edward was spending the night.

Chief Swan pretty much remained as cryptic as he was on the phone with Edward, not revealing too much at all to him when Edward first started asking more questions. Edward laid off the questions once he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with the good Chief, plus it wasn't hard to tell that he shouldn't push the Chief who really did seem to have had a hard day. Edward didn't fail to notice that the Chief's eyes were red-rimmed, meaning he was either quite tired or had been crying. Edward didn't quite know which, but either way, it signaled that Charlie was having a rough time whether it be work-related or personally.

Edward decided to remain respectful and just to not question Bella's father any further. He would just silently go along. He didn't want to add to the Chief's obvious stress. He'd get his answers soon enough.

Of course, seeing Chief Swan in his certain state only added to the terrible feeling in Edward's gut. That feeling had grown now and Edward was almost panicked. Maybe he didn't want to find out why Bella needed him.

However, Edward was never one to not be available for Bella whenever she needed him. He was going to be there for his best friend, come what may. He schooled his features and didn't show himself starting to stress.

The Chief and Edward arrived at the Swan house, the both of them running to the porch to get out of the rain. Charlie paused before opening the door, taking a deep breath, while his hand was on the knob. He seemed to be muttering to himself, but it was too soft for Edward to hear clearly. Edward could see tears start to prickle at the corners of the Chief's eyes, making him truly wonder what the hell was really going on-he'd never seen Chief Swan look so damn emotional.

"Are you okay, Sir?" Edward asked, very concerned.

"Not really, son. I'm gonna have to do one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for it. But, I'm glad you're here...for Bella."

"What's the matter, Chief Swan? What's happened?" Edward couldn't hide the worry in his voice.

"Let's go inside, Edward. There's something I need to tell you and Bella," was all Charlie said.

"Um, okay," Edward pretty much squeaked out.

They opened the door and was immediately greeted in the foyer by Bella. Charlie took another deep breath, doing his best to not break down altogether upon seeing his daughter. Bella had no idea at all about the heartbreaking news he had to relay to her.

"Dad, you're home," Bella greeted in surprise. "I heard the cruiser pull up. I heard about the big accident on the 101. I didn't think you'd be home yet. And, you brought Edward?"

"Hey, what are you doing home with my dad?" Bella posed the question to Edward.

Edward shrugged. "I actually don't know," he told her honestly. "We need to ask your dad."

"What's going on, Dad?"

"Uh, lets go to the kitchen. I think it'll be better if we all sat down," Chief Swan said, his tone clearly sad and serious.

"Uh, okay," Bella responded, her tone thick with worry. They all made their way to the kitchen.

On the way, Bella asked, "Have both of you eaten?" She didn't wait for an answer and continued, "Cause, I could reheat the leftover lasagna if either of you are hungry. That was dinner. It's good comfort food during a storm, y'know."

"It's been a really bad storm," Edward commented. "Bella, are you still freaked about it?" He asked, remembering their earlier conversation on the phone.

"Still bit a jumpy, but I think I could handle it now. Thanks for calming me down earlier, though. You reminded it that was only a thunderstorm, just like when we were kids. I can't thank you enough."

"Kids, why don't we all sit. I've got something to tell you both," Charlie said sadly, as he ushered them to chairs at the dining table.

Bella looked at Edward questioningly. All Edward could do was shrug. He had no more of an idea than she did.

"What's going on, Dad? It seems like somethings wrong. What's wrong?" Bella inquired of her dad. Her concern was clear. The fact that he'd brought Edward home made her wary.

Charlie tried to start explaining several times. He opened and closed his mouth several times, each time no words came out, because he hadn't felt right with what he was going to say. He could see the searching looks from Bella and Edward, both of them wondering what exactly was going on. He had the answers, but he just didn't know how to begin. He got up from the table and began to pace about the room, hoping it would help him to clear his head and give him some idea of how to break the news of Riley's passing to his unsuspecting daughter and friend.

"Dad...what is it?" Bella asked again. "You're scaring me. What's the matter? Tell me what's going on," she demanded. "What's wrong?" She urged.

Edward placed a protective arm around Bella, sensing her newfound desperation. Not only was it for her comfort, but for his as well. He was starting to feel rather uncomfortable. There was no doubt that the air was thick with tension. Charlie had something to tell Bella and him, Edward was certain; however, Chief Swan was holding out on them. Or, at least, he didn't know how to tell them.

What could it be? Edward couldn't imagine what it could be that would make a man like Chief Swan seem to cower in fear and be highly emotional. The man who stood before he and Bella in the kitchen, pacing a hole in the floor, wasn't the Chief Swan Edward normally knew.

"Sir, can you please tell us what you need to tell us? Drawing it out just makes Bella and I more scared," Edward tried to encourage the Chief to say whatever it was he needed to say. "Really, Sir, whatever it is...just tell us. We can handle it."

"Yeah, Dad...please tell us what's the matter," Bella added.

Charlie sat back down and rubbed his face in his hands. He gave himself an encouraging word and then took a deep breath. He then took both of Bella's hands in his before he started to explain.

"Bella, I have some awfully bad news to share with you. I brought Edward here because I know he's your best friend and you two have always had this special relationship going. I know how he can comfort you like no one else. I figured that his presence would be warranted now."

"What's happened, Sir?" Edward interjected.

"God, Bella, I want you to know that this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a father."

"Is it Mom? Did something happen to Mom?" Bella exclaimed, her voice starting to shake.

"No...it's not your mom," Charlie answered.

"Whew," Bella said in relief.

In a grave voice, Charlie continued to explain, "You know about that bad accident on the 101 that I had to attend to," he paused, finding it difficult to get the words out, especially with his heart constricting.

"Yes. What about it? Oh, did someone we know get hurt in the accident? Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Something like that, Bells. Erm, I don't exactly know how to tell you this, so I'll just come out and say it. Y'know that the Express bus from Port Angeles was involved in that accident," for which Bella and Edward nodded. "Well, Bells, Riley was on that bus."

Bella's eyes grew wide. "Riley? No...that can't be. He's at school," Bella dismissed.

She looked to Edward as if trying to find confirmation, but Edward couldn't offer her any. All he could do was shrug, as if saying he didn't know. Inside, the panic started welling up, about to burst forth like an erupting volcano.

"I guess he was coming for another visit," Charlie responded.

"No," Bella said adamantly. "That can't be. He isn't schedule for another visit till Thanksgiving. We talked about it. Dad, I was just texting him not too long ago. He was at school."

"He could've been texting you from the bus en route, Bella. I mean, you would never know that," Edward chimed in. "Maybe he wanted this visit to be a surprise, just like the one he made for your birthday."

"Nooo, he couldn't have been on that bus," Bella shouted in denial.

"He was on the bus, Bells," Charlie sadly confirmed. "His name was even on the passenger manifest."

"Okay, fine," Bella conceded. "So, he was on the bus. He was involved in the accident. Is he alright? Was he hurt? Which hospital did he go to? We have to go to him," Bella spouted. Panic could be heard in her tone and her eyes were welling up with tears.

"I'm sorry, Bells, honey, but Riley didn't make it," Charlie answered gravely, instantly breaking down again upon uttering the words.

"What?" Edward exclaimed in surprise, tears also starting to prickle the corners of his eyes.

"He's gone," Charlie further confirmed. At first, I didn't believe it, but Mrs. Maxwell at the ME's office even showed him to me. He passed on, honey. I'm so sorry."

Bella let go of her father's hands and stood abruptly, knocking her chair to the floor. She then slammed her fists onto the table. "Nooo," she shouted. "He can't be gone. I just texted with him earlier this evening. See." She then fished her phone out of her pocket and pulled up Riley's last text to her, the one that said, **I love you. Forever and Always. xxx. **She then continued, "He texted that he'd call me later to say good night."

"It must've been just before the accident happened, Bells," Charlie said sadly, amidst his own tears.

"Noo...no...no, he can't be gone," Bella continued to mutter in denial.

Charlie stood up and grabbed her in a fierce embrace. "I'm so sorry, darling. I wish it weren't so, but it is. He's gone. I'm so sorry."

Edward still sat at the table in utter shock about the news he just heard. He knew that even though Bella was trying to remain in denial, the harsh truth was that Riley was indeed gone.

Bella beat her fists upon her father's chest, refusing to believe what he kept saying. She didn't want to believe that her beloved boyfriend was dead.

"No...no...no," she continued to wail at her father's chest.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Charlie kept whispering to her.

"Does his parents already know?" Edward thought to ask.

"Yes," Charlie answered, without having let Bella go. "I actually broke the news to them before I came to get you. You can image it was a tough one."

"They must've been devastated," Edward commented.

"It's never easy for a parent to lose a child. Seen it happen way too many times in my line of work. What's even sadder was that they hadn't been expecting Riley to come home. They told me that he'd mentioned it, but they figured he decided against it since they refused to front the costs. Guess he decided to come anyway on his own dime. It's probably why he was on the Express. Bus fares are cheaper than airline fares."

Meanwhile, Bella had gone from muttering, "no" to repeatedly saying, "he can't be gone" against Charlie's chest.

"He was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Edward added.

"That's for sure," Charlie agreed.

"I can't believe he's gone," Edward said, still quite in shock over the news.

"It was a shock for me, too. He was taken way too soon," Charlie stated sadly.

Bella looked up at her dad from within his embrace. "He wasn't supposed to be back," she uttered amidst her tears. "He wasn't supposed to be back. If he hadn't come back, he wouldn't be gone. He would still be alive, safe at school."

"I know, Bells. Sometimes we just don't know why things happen the way they do."

"He shouldn't have been on that bus," Bella screamed, angered now. "Why the hell was he on that bus?"

"I guess he was coming to surprise you," Edward replied.

Bella wiggled out of her father's hug and began to pace about the room. She mumbled, "How could he have done this? How could he have left me? His family?"

"It wasn't his choice, Bells," Charlie told her. "I guess it was just his time."

"He's really gone?" The question she posed to Edward, as she stopped pacing right in front of him.

Edward stood up and immediately grabbed her in a hug. His voice barely above a whisper, he confirmed to her, "He's really gone. I'm so sorry, Bella."

She wiggled out of his embrace and ran for the back door that led out to the yard. Practically screaming her lungs out, she wailed before she ran through the door, "Noo...I won't accept it. Riley can't be gone." Then she was out right into the pouring rain.

"Let me," Edward told her father, for which he nodded. Edward then went after Bella.

Edward found Bella just standing out in the yard, getting soaked, staring blankly off into the distant woods. He approached her cautiously, then put an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry that Riley's gone," Edward told her sympathetically.

Bella turned into his chest and wrapped her arms around her best friend. He did the same and they were now wrapped up in another fierce hug.

"I can't believe he's gone," she muttered into his chest.

"I know. It isn't right and it isn't fair. But that's just how life is," Edward responded.

"It hurts so bad," Bella confessed. "I loved him so much."

"I know," Edward acknowledged. "I'm not gonna lie to you. It's going to hurt like a bitch for awhile. That's the way pain is. But, it'll get better, I promise. We're gonna get through this together just like all the other times."

"Now, I'm alone."

"You're not alone. I'm here. Your dad and your friends. Even the whole town is gonna be here for you. Don't ever think you're now alone. If anything, I'm always with you. I'll always be here for you whenever you need me. We'll get through this loss together."

"Riley's gone," Bella stated, as if confirming it fully to herself.

"He is, but not fully. He'll live on in our hearts and minds. I have a feeling he's up there," and Edward looked up to the sky. "He's gonna be up there, watching over you. You've got your own personal guardian angel now. You're a lucky gal."

"I'm going to miss him so much," Bella further confessed.

"We're all going to miss him," Edward corrected.

Then, no more words were said between them. Instead, they just stood there holding one another, which was more like they were holding themselves together, before they both fell completely apart. They both cried, their tears melding with the rain.

* * *

**End A/N:** Whoa! That was a whopper of a heart wrenching chapter, huh?

*sniff* *sniff* *sob* *sob*

Believe me, I cried while I wrote this. It was difficult to have to have this chapter. It was even sadder for me when I read some reviews from readers that had learned to like Riley just as much as I did. My sincerest apologies to, _SandytheSandstorm and jennayg123. _ I know you guys probably didn't expect this.

Here's the teaser-short and simple:

_A couple of inspirations for the next chapter_

_It's So Hard To Say Goodbye- Boyz II Men_

_One Sweet Day-Mariah Carey ft. Boyz II Men__  
_

_I Will Remember You-Sarah McLachlan_

_You'll Be In My Heart-Phil Collins_

_To Where You Are-Josh Groban_

_Where You Are-Jessica Simpson ft Nick Lachey_

*runs and hides now*


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